On May 20, 2025, the Faculty of Management and Business Design of the Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design became the epicenter of innovation. As part of the annual Management Week and Science Week, a unique Hackathon “Management + Design = Innovation: from a creative idea to a successful business” was held. This event ensured the effective integration of creative potential and strategic thinking of the student community of all faculty specialties.
The main goal of the Hackathon was to stimulate interdisciplinary cooperation and unleash the innovative potential of students. Participants actively generated concepts that skillfully combined creative design approaches with rational management solutions.
At the beginning of the Hackathon, the Dean of the Faculty of Management and Business Design Mariana Shkoda welcomed the students and wished them fruitful work and creative ideas. She explained in detail the rules of the Hackathon and the requirements for presenting their innovative concepts.
The Hackathon was moderated by Natalia Bugas, Associate Professor of the Department of Management and Smart Innovations, which ensured effective coordination of the event.
At the beginning of the Hackathon, a series of intensive training sessions were organized for students to deepen their competencies in key areas:
- “Social Message in Advertising”: The training, conducted by Yurii Gorodetskii, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Marketing and Communication Design, deeply revealed the transformational role of modern advertising. It was emphasized that it goes beyond mere information, becoming a powerful tool for influencing public consciousness, capable of shaping values, changing behavior and drawing attention to pressing issues. Emphasis was placed on the ethical aspects of creating a social message, its ability to evoke an emotional response and encourage the audience to act.
- “Starting Your Own Business”: Taliat Bielialov, Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Business, emphasized the critical importance of identifying an original and viable business idea as a fundamental stage for the successful start and further development of entrepreneurial activity.
These trainings became an integral part of the Hackathon program, which challenged standard thinking paradigms. The students were encouraged not only to engage in in-depth analysis and strategic business planning, but also to actively develop their visual thinking. Their ideas had skillfully materialized in impressive creative works, hand-drawn on whiteboards. These unique visual concepts were seamlessly integrated into the presentations, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to the project cycle - from the initial idea generation to the stage of thoughtful implementation.
A special feature of the Hackathon was the introduction of a creative and objective evaluation system, where the winner was determined by the participants themselves. By voting anonymously with “golden chocolate coins,” each team had the opportunity to invest their symbolic points in competitors' projects that demonstrated the greatest potential and innovation. This unconventional approach not only enhanced the element of interactivity and creativity but also transformed the evaluation process into a collective recognition of the value of intellectual work.
Results of the Hackathon:
- 1st place: The team of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Business with the project “AgroAi”, which collected the maximum “gold coins”!
- 2nd place: The team of the Department of Management and Smart Innovations with the project “Smart Textile”!
- 3rd place: The team of the Department of Marketing and Communication Design with the project “Floors of Connections”!
- 4th place: Team of the Department of Finance and Business Consulting with the project “Chronos”!
All participants were awarded certificates of participation in the Hackathon and incentive prizes.
This hackathon proved once again that real innovations are born at the intersection of creative thinking, effective management and free exchange of ideas!
The Faculty of Management and Business Design is immensely proud of the talent and enthusiasm of its students. Congratulations to all participants and thank you for such an explosive day of creativity!
03.06.2025
