Winners
ReSPA, in partnership with, the United Nations Development Programme in Serbia (UNDP) announced three Winners in the category Solution and two initiatives in the category Idea, at the Ceremony held within ReSPA Seasonal School on Digital Transformation on 9th July 2024 in Budva, Montenegro.
After the evaluation of the submitted applications, five teams shared a prize fund of $19,000, awarded in four competitive categories: Mobility and Transportation Data, Workforce Mobility, Tourism Atlas, and Demographic Trends. The winners are Block Build Bor from Serbia (first place, $9,000), Montex Elektronika from Montenegro (second place, $5,000), Jordan Simonov from North Macedonia (third place, $3,000), and Enrriko Kapiti from Albania and Citrus Codes from Montenegro in the category of “idea”, where winners were awarded with equal prize of $1,000.
According to the rules of the competition, applicants could apply their innovative ideas in the category of “solution”, where they would be the ones to develop the idea into the solution, competing for the bigger prize, but also in the category of “idea”, if the team or individual person does not have resources to develop the solution, but are aware of different ways in which open data can be used for the benefit of the community. Out of five winning ideas, three applicants will transform their ideas into open data-based solutions, for the common good - Block Build Bor, Montex Elektronika and Jordan Simonov.
Winning Solutions
1st Place: Block Build Bor, Serbia
Winning team: Teodora Vještica, AI engineer with a passion for programming and research in Artificial Intelligence, but also for reading books, and watching movies and cooking. Kristina Mosić a Frontend Developer who brings unique designs to life in every project and who enjoys attending live music concerts, reading books, spending time in nature and experimenting with new recipes in her kitchen. Marko Vučetić, is passionate about leveraging his extensive experience to create innovative solutions and improve project outcomes, but also in volleyball, gaming and exploring new destinations through travel. Miodrag Strak is quinquagenarian, but in tech, Miodrag feels like a kid in a candy store. He has a passion for hiking, good cuisine, comic books, and gaming, and enjoys good ambient and other atmospheric styles of music.
Winning solution: AI-powered chatbot - a smart travel guide and personal assistant that will help tourists discover Serbia like never before!
A friendly, smart personal travel guide that tourists can chat with on their favourite messaging apps like WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, or Facebook Messenger, the chatbot will help tourists explore Serbia personally and conveniently and make their travel experience smoother and more enjoyable - whether they're looking for the best local attractions, accommodations, events, or anything related to their travel, it will provide them with the latest information.
How will it work? Chatbot will leverage reliable data from the Open Data Portals and the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, which ensures that the information tourists receive is always up-to-date and trustworthy. Hence, it will help both tourists and public administration by making it easier for tourists to access important information while promoting tourism and local services.
2nd Place: Montex Elektronika, Montenegro
Winning team: Aleksandar Radulović, a senior consultant with extensive experience in digital transformation and business solutions. Committed to fostering innovation and leading projects that drive significant impact, but also to playing tennis, cycling, reading books, and following the latest trends in technology and business management. Vladimir Jokić, a project manager with a medium level of expertise in digital transformation and business, he is passionate about leveraging technology to improve business processes and enjoys exploring innovative solutions. Vladimir enjoys hiking, playing table tennis, swimming, reading about technological advancements, and participating in community events.
Winning solution: The Tourist Atlas for Montenegro – Smart support for transforming Montenegro into a digitally ready hub while influencing economic growth. An all-in-one trip planning platform specially designed for digital nomads – to work, explore, and enjoy Montenegro!
The platform will provide digital nomads with everything they need to make their stay in Montenegro enjoyable and productive: from cultural landmarks, natural attractions, transport, and events such as upcoming festivals-concerts to very important information that can simplify their stay and work in Montenegro, including public services (healthcare, education, government services available to residents), employment (job listing, employment statistic) community resources (clubs, social-engaging initiatives) and legal matters (property registration, tax regulation and legal aid) - all this with using open data!
Tourist Atlas for Montenegro will be a perfect tool for digital nomads. It simplifies every aspect of living and working in Montenegro by discovering possibilities for working, enjoying, and staying with ease and confidence.
3rd Place: Jordan Simonov, North Macedonia
Winning team: Jordan Simonov, a consultant with the Global Tax Team at the World Bank and great experience in collaboration with diverse teams at both regional and international levels. Jordan finds joy in exploring new technologies and enhancing technical skills, particularly in the field of data science but also in hiking and listening to music. Bojan Shimbov, a professor of economics at the University Jaume I in Spain, is motivated by tackling the World's biggest social and economic issue-sustainable growth through sound public finance and macroeconomic policies. He enjoys working on technical and policy issues that lead towards knowledge dissemination and like to chat about economics, migration, public finance management, climate and trade policies. His non-economic interests include history and basketball.
Winning solution: One-stop shop platform for understanding migration dynamics
The platform will automatically collect, analyze and display migration data using open data. Authorities and other stakeholders can check migration through the application and monitor and understand migration trends. As such, it will be a reliable partner for numerous agents in society, especially in tackling brain drain issues across the region.
Winning Ideas
Enrriko Kapiti, Albania
Winning team: Enrriko Kapiti, with around 8 years of experience in the public sector and international projects focusing on regular impact assessment, learning and development, product management and a passion for driving innovation and efficiency in our communities. He likes, travelling, walking and cycling in his free time. Franc Rusha is experienced in working in private and public sectors, including as a Web Designer, Network and Systems Administrator, and IT specialist and is passionate about the use of digital innovation as a tool to solve societal and economic problems. When he isn’t brushing up on his programming skills, Franc spends most of his time watching travel documentaries and reading about history, geography, and linguistics.
The winning idea: A smart idea that uses open data to resolve the problem of traffic and noise in the streets of Shkodra city
The application will use noise detection sensors to monitor noise levels from various sources, such as vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and human activities. It will alert authorities and citizens when noise levels surpass the permissible limits during daytime and nighttime. Happy or sad emojis on the screen will indicate noise levels, encouraging citizens to adjust their behaviour to reduce noise, particularly from vehicles.
Every noise peak and additional data about the types of noise will be gathered in real time and displayed on an open-source dashboard. As such, it will help municipalities understand the city's noise and traffic patterns, enabling them to propose solutions such as restrictions on car movements and prioritising pedestrians and bicycles over cars. Furthermore, improved data sharing with local governments and police stations can lead to deploying additional patrols in noisy areas, reducing traffic and noise. By promoting quieter streets and better traffic flow, the application will contribute to a more serene and sustainable urban environment.
Citrus Codes, Montenegro
Winning team: Bojan Lozo, Open Data portals and data formats expert, Dražen Vuletić, Data manipulation and visualization, backend development expert and Dušica Zlajić, UI/UX designer
The winning idea: A smart investment location tool that uses open data to help new investors find ideal locations to start their businesses
Designed to help new investors find the best places to start their businesses by integrating data on unemployment rates, job seeker profiles and average city salaries, the app will identify the best locations for new companies based on local workforce availability and cost considerations. As such, it will support regional economic development by matching investment opportunities with available workforce resources. In parallel, it will ensure that investments are directed to areas with the best success potential, benefiting investors and local communities. This innovative approach will help investors make informed decisions, boosting local economies and creating job opportunities. Leveraging open data can drive regional growth and create a prosperous environment for new businesses.