Apila Group was invited to give an inspirational speech for the online Green Future Hackathon innovation camp. During the camp, students innovate a circular economy-themed business idea and business model through the Circula® game.
In her speech, Kirsi spoke to the students about the use of materials and raw materials in the circular economy and the circular economy from an entrepreneurial and business perspective. The inspirational speech’s purpose was to give students information and new perspectives on the reuse of raw materials, circular economy and circular economy business.
The sustainable circular economy of materials needs original thinking and an innovative approach
The purpose of Hackathon was to create new, innovative solutions. Kirsi Mononen sees the benefits of Hackathons: “I believe that Hackathon events are important and promote knowledge sharing, new ideas, networks across industry boundaries and the emergence of circular economy ecosystems.”
The Hackathon event participants were students of XAMK, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Science and ITMO University from St. Petersburg. From XAMK, two groups of students participated in the Green Future Hackathon, and they got their challenges from real-life businesses. One challenge was related to the sustainable construction of the TwinCampus, and the other to constructing the Kotka Harbor Arena.
The possibilities of the circular economy to use with innovative thinking.
Kirsi Mononen believes that the role of young people as innovators in the circular economy is significant. She challenges young people to raise the bar for sustainable solutions even further, both at work and as consumers. “Studying and understanding the circular economy plays a key role in enabling young people, as future experts and consumers, to implement and demand circular economy in the manufacturing industry and as part of services.”
The Green Future Hackathon is an online, university-level international innovation camp with a themed circular economy theme. The event was part of the EIT Raw Materials – Young Innovators project and was organised by the Junior Achievement Finland. Apila Group received an invitation to the event through the FIBS partner network. As a FIBS Partner, we are involved in boosting Finnish companies to the top of sustainable business.