Innovations, progress, entrepreneurship - three elements inherently connected. Sinergy connecting two totally different organizations - the doyen of the area with over 20 years of experience, Technology park Ljubljana and a young, not even one year old ABC Accelerator. This synergy enables entrepreneurship development and development of innovative entrepreneurial ideas that has resulted in Technology Park Ljubljana and ABC joining forces in one of the most renowned and popular global challenges- Hackhaton NASA SpaceApp Challenge.

ABC Accelarator assists young start-up companies with investments between 15.000 and 350.000 EUR of venture capital in its intensive 3+3 monthly program, consisting of various lectures, workshops, mentoring consultations, constant testing and occasional pivoting of the business model. After the program completions the companies are ready for entering the global markets. ABC just completed their second program »Smart Living & Health«, which will be followed by the flagship program »Commercial Tech«, the third accelerating program. The founders say it is an improvement of e-commerce, as it covers the area, which is due to the strategic partner BTC City substantially based on gathered knowledge, business and investment network and test area of over 4.500 stores and 21 million visitors yearly.

Technology park Ljubljana, is the initiator and designer of entrepreneurial culture and innovative ecosystem in Slovenia, starting in 1995. Today it represents the leading hub of SE Europe for international linking for entrepreneurial talents, innovations and start-ups with global companies in the areas of health, green technologies, smart cities and factories. Our network is comprised of more than 300 companies and the main core of the Park is connecting companies, with access to financial sources and managed influx of talents in the region. Technology park Ljubljana provides a motivating environment in the entrepreneurial incubator Tobogan, where teams and individual with highly technological ideas are supported by renowned experts and consultants on individual basis. In 2017 Technology Park Ljubljana will open its prototyping center in cooperation with Faculty of Electrotechnics’ at University of Ljubljana.

48 hours in space

Competences and good past cooperation have joined Technology Park Ljubljana and ABC in this years' NASA Challenge. It is a48 hour international event focused towards research of space, which is simultaneously implemented in over 150 cities world-wide. It is the first time the Ljubljana Hackathon is divided into two locations: in the center of BTC- in ABC Hub and with the grand finale at technology park Ljubljana, who is the traditional partner in implementation of NASA SpaceApp Challenge.

The event consists of problem solving with the objective of developing appropriate open-source solutions with answers to global needs of life on Earth as well as in space. NASA, as the leading organizations holds all the threads of global cooperation.

This year, the event will be organized on the 23. and 24. of April 2016 at two locations: on the 23rd of April the competition will be organized a) Acceleration Business City – Hub in lower level of BTC Emporium, where everyone (engineers, technological experts, designers, artists, educators, students, entrepreneurs) with the passion and readiness to contribute to changing the world will gather. They will face challenges from six areas: aeronautics, Earth, space station, travelling to Mars, solar system and space technologies. Youngsters between ages 12 and 18 are also invited, as they will solve specially created (one day lasting) challenges, and the best youngsters will receive valuable rewards.

On the 24th of April, the competition will culminate at Technology park Ljubljana, building B, conference spaces. Everyone enlisted will finish and with the help of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrotechnic mentors continue their work.The Evaluation committee will choose best products and solutions and at 17:00 hours the award ceremony will be conducted.

During Hackathon, partners will provide mentorship and support of experts for the participants.

All Challenges are posted on www.spaceappschallenge.eu. Despite its name, the challenges include areas of robotics, data visualization, hardware, design and numerous other elements.

Only two projects on global level (will be) sent to NASA

Don't lose any time, as the regional level winners will have the opportunity for:

• Three month incubation period in entrepreneurship incubator Tobogan, managed by technology park Ljubljana, including office space, mentorship as well as access to all networking and educational events organized by Technology park Ljubljana.

Awards offered by ABC Accelerator:

• Opportunity to directly participate in the finals of start-ups selections of the ABC Space program
• Opportunity to participate at one of ABC Success Story events of their choice and networking with other start-ups
• Assistance in developing business model.

On the global level, the winners will have the opportunity to participate in the six month acceleration program in one of European cities or in California, USA. The precise location will be defined in the first three months based on the specifics of the product developed by the particular team and based on possible target markets, intended for prototype production, financial assistance of up to 1,5 million of venture capital and opportunity to present the prototype at the University of Stanford.

SATURDAY 23.4.2016

9:30-10:00 Registration and morning coffee

10:00-10:30 About NASA Challenge

10:30-11:00 An experience with NASA

11:00-14:00 Working on challenges

14:00-15:00 Lunch

15:00-19:00 Working on challenges

20:00 Dinner

SUNDAY 24.4.2016

9:30-10:00 Registration and morning coffee

10:00-14:00 Working on challenges

14:00-14:30 Lunch

14:30-16:00 Preparation of presentations

16:00-17:00 Pitching

17:30 Winners announcement