On May 28 and 29, the CIAJG hosted “Hack the Future Guimarães,” an initiative integrated into “Mês J – Youth Month” that challenged secondary school students to transform ideas into real projects for the future of the municipality.
Over the course of two days, the young participants took part in a practical entrepreneurship marathon, featuring bootcamps, mentoring sessions, and pitch presentations, while developing skills in innovation, critical thinking, and teamwork. The jury included Jorge Oliveira (IAPMEI), Joana Beltrão Martins (School of Engineering at the University of Minho), and Susana Costa (Landscape Laboratory).
The bootcamps were led by Elisabete Sampaio de Sá (School of Economics and Management at the University of Minho), Óscar Carvalho (Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minho), and Rui Pinheiro (Set.Up Guimarães). The initiative also featured the participation of mentors Bruno Maia (DUMA), Simão Sousa (Montebelo GmbH), and Telmo Santos (CCG/ZGDV Institute).
The impact of this edition was defined by the participants’ creativity, as they generated over 200 ideas focused on the development of Guimarães. Six of these were selected for a validation process, where students were able to transform them into viable business models. More than just a competition, “Hack the Future Guimarães” established itself as the Municipality’s investment in young talent and in the creation of innovative solutions for the future of the territory.
