Innovation Days Vienna: A Look Back

They each worked in small, diverse teams at Talent Garden, a co-working space in Vienna which served as the venue. The teams developed business concepts for three design challenges, specifically for Raiffeisen Bank International, Andritz and Rauch Fruchtsäfte. Raiffeisen Bank International challenged the innovators to create new open banking business models that would support a circular economy.

The challenge set by Andritz involved the design of innovative and sustainable service-based business models for spare and wear parts. Rauch Fruchtsäfte asked how the fruit juice experience of the future might be reimagined from the perspective of circularity. In addition to their instructors, the teams were supported by more than 20 mentors, including subject matter experts from each of the companies sponsoring the event.

On the first day, participants pitched their ideas and formed teams. Each team comprised participants with backgrounds in design, technology and business. The ideas varied widely, as the three companies setting the challenges represent very different industries. On the morning of the second day, participants left Talent Garden and took to the streets to conduct customer development interviews.

In the afternoon, mentors from leading companies and circularity experts provided feedback as the teams began their prototyping work. The feedback from the mentors was invaluable in helping to improve the prototypes and validate the solutions developed on the final day.

The final solutions were showcased at the prototype expo and pitched to the clients. Partner companies and mentors assessed each solution and undertook the daunting task of selecting the best ones. The winning teams (one per category) were announced during the event’s closing session. Two of our incoming students were part of the winning teams.