Science and innovation festival "UNICORN"

On December 18, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, the student campus of Riga Technical University (RTU) in Ķīpsala will host the UNICORN student science and innovation festival, inspiring current and future students to engage in creativity. At the festival, students, scientists, and innovators will present their business ideas to a jury consisting of investors, bank representatives, and business professionals. They will also showcase innovative solutions to property management challenges developed during the hackathon Rīgas namu pārvaldnieka Coopetition.

At 3:00 PM, the finals of the hackathon will begin in the The Moon hall with the ceremonial signing of a collaboration agreement between RTU and SIA Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks. The agreement will be signed by RTU Rector Tālis Juhna and company CEO Māris Ozoliņš. Meanwhile, the hackathon participants will present their proposals to the largest property management company in the Baltics and a professional jury. These proposals include solutions for improving building and infrastructure management, such as effective methods for clearing snow and ice from roofs, implementing energy efficiency measures, integrating digital tools for client communication, and using technological solutions to simplify parking, among others.

Six teams will compete in the hackathon finals for a prize pool of €6,000.

This is an excellent opportunity for young people and professionals to create solutions that make life in apartment buildings more convenient, modern, and sustainable, emphasizes Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks.

The UNICORN festival will offer a wide range of activities throughout the day to cater to diverse interests. Participants can test and develop their skills in areas like coding and prototyping, explore the capabilities of supercomputers and artificial intelligence, including emotion recognition and voice synthesis, and enhance their creative potential at the Unicorn Thinking workshop. There will also be engaging entertainment, such as a chemistry show, mousetrap car-building competitions, startup karaoke, and silent disco. Additionally, participants can join socially responsible activities aimed at student integration into the labor market, inclusion of immigrants into society, and improving personal emotional well-being and overall mental health.

Discussions on topics relevant to students, identifying challenges affecting them and the university, and brainstorming innovative solutions will also be part of the festival. At 12:00 PM, in the The Moon hall of the RTU Science and Innovation Center (Ķīpsalas iela 6A, 2nd floor), RTU and other university students, graduates, scientists, and innovators will present their innovative business ideas during the Shark Tank activity. Attendees will also learn about technological solution concepts and ideas developed by student teams using RTU’s supercomputer as part of the program Creating Innovative Digital Solutions for HPC Challenges.

The UNICORN festival is organized by the RTU Science and Innovation Center’s Design Factory in collaboration with the RTU Student Parliament. More information is available.