Innov.ation HUB at TIF

A long standing collaboration with the U.S. Embassy has allowed us to create and implement a shared vision on many occasions. But one of our favorites is the Innov.ation HUB, which took place in Thessaloniki International Fair in 2018 and was successfully repeated in 2019 and 2021. 

The Innov.ation HUB is a US Embassy-backed program that features a dedicated “digital classroom area” hosting digital skills workshops, meetups, and open discussions during the annual Thessaloniki International Fair. A series of Innovation Talks – casual open sessions and workshops where VCs, established tech entrepreneurs, and prominent figures from the wider startup innovation ecosystem – are featured each afternoon with the aim of inspiring and connecting the next generation of innovators.

• In 2018, the program focused on current trends and latest developments in the “marketing influence” of social media and how digital information technologies are reconfiguring communication and social behavior around the world. It included a total of 40 events, 21 of which focused on digital skills development, 12 on enhancing entrepreneurship, and 7 focused on more specific business needs. More than 60 hours were devoted to lessons and lectures throughout the exhibition, while 50 teachers, speakers and panelists were recruited. Public interest in the events was extremely high, exceeding any expectations, as more than 2,000 exhibitors attended some of the Innov.ation HUB events.
• In 2019, the program focused on the future of work and the relationship between technology and entrepreneurship. Specifically, it included 13 lectures on digital skills development, 12 lectures and case studies aimed at enhancing entrepreneurship, and 12 lectures focusing on the needs of today’s market. Aiming to become a hive of education and innovation within TIF for a second year in a row, Innov.ation HUB hosted 37 events with the participation of 47 qualified teachers and speakers while more than 2,500 people attended the lectures and presentations during its days.
• In 2020, the Fair was cancelled due to the pandemic, but Found.ation assisted the U.S. Mission in Greece to carry on virtually the “TechCamp Thessaloniki: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs” initiative, targeting female entrepreneurship in the Balkans region.  By the end of the workshop series, the female entrepreneurs presented complete business plans that they managed to build with the support of their mentors. The 40 women were trained on a variety of topics such as business strategy, digital marketing, sales and partnerships, finance, legal, working with web developers, design of digital products and planning of business and personal development.
• In 2021, the U.S. Mission to Greece, in partnership with Found.ation and Socialinnov organized “TechCamp Thessaloniki: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs” and the Education Revolution Conference, at the 85th Thessaloniki International Fair, under the auspices of the Ministry of Digital Governance. For three days (September 12-14), 40 women entrepreneurs from Greece and other Balkan countries, had the chance to attend the TechCamp Thessaloniki program, exchange knowledge, learn how to set up a sustainable business and take advantage of new digital technologies and strategies. On September 15, the TechCamp was followed by the Education Revolution Conference, an activation focusing on the digital transformation of education in our days.
• In 2022, Found.ation was a key partner in DisinfoHackathon, an innovation competition with the aim of developing innovative collaborative solutions with the contribution of technology and digital standard applications, to combat misinformation. The competition comprised of five thematic challenges, adopting the motto “It takes an ecosystem to challenge and tackle misinformation”. Each thematic challenge was designed in cooperation with experts and was about proposing ways that innovation can help fight misinformation in journalism, health, religion and advertising. DisinfoHackathon was part of DisinfoHacks Program, organised by DCN Global, ADandPRLab @cmcPanteionUniversity and YET, funded by the Department of State and U.S. Mission GREECE, and supported by Amazon Web Services, National Bank of Greece, Socialinnov and Found.ation.

We are both honoured and fortunate to have been involved in a lasting relationship with the U.S. Embassy in Athens and also excited for the exceptional future projects that lie ahead. 

The U.S. Ambassador in Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt, noted the importance of the great collaboration between the US. Mission to Greece and the Found.ation and Socialinnov teams:

“I want to thank the Socialinnov team for their flexibility and resilience following the cancellation of TechCamp 2020 due to the pandemic. Socialinnov and Found.ation are longstanding Embassy partners, and I appreciate how quickly they were able to shift gears to offer a series of virtual workshops to participants from the 2020 program.”