Context

The STARS project has been developed and coordinated by the DITECFER railway cluster from Italy, gathers 16 railway-related partners in Europe and has the support of 30 key European organisations. It is co-funded by the COSME programme of the EU.

The project aims at representing a booster in terms of production performances and  innovation capabilities for SMEs thanks to the uptake of Advanced Technologies that can make such change possible.

Advanced Technologies have proved to give competitive advantages and will build the “Future Mobility.” In addition, several of the technologies will foster the future of the Railway & Multimodality industrial meta-ecosystem.

The STARS project aims at helping SMEs to focus on:

• The support to the organisational/cultural change based on innovative models,
• The support for a better understanding of investment aspects and return-on-investments (ROI) related to the adoption of Advanced Technologies,
• The training and assistance on funding opportunities for investments,
• The support for upskilling and reskilling.

What are the STARS Hack&Match events?

The “Hack&Match” events represent an integral part of the assistance process delivered by the STARS project partners, as we plan to accompany the more traditional SMEs to these events not just with “needs” but with potential solutions. This will make both the Hackathon-part and the Matchmaking-part more specific and tailored.

The STARS Partners will organise five Hack&Match events during the project.

The topic of the two previous events was: “Energy efficiency for Railway Processes, Products and Services” and “Big data for railway processes, products and services”.

For the third  Hack&Match, we decided to focus on: “Blockchain for railway  processes, products and services”. 

Participation is free of charge and 100% online.

Why should you participate?

Participating in the STARS Hack&Match events represent:

• for more traditional European SMEs operating or wishing to operate in the Railway and Multimodality sector an opportunity to get an overview of different advanced technologies that can be implemented on their companies to develop new features/innovations in their products/services, increase productivity, reduce costs, develop new digital business models and facilitate their green transition
• for tech-savvy SMEs an opportunity to promote their solutions/knowledge and open up new potential collaboration (that will be further developed in the Matching part – registrations are already open: https://starseurope.b2match.io)
• for any other organisation, an opportunity to co-develop ideas and promote partnering opportunities.  

Several of the technologies which will foster the future of the Railway & Multimodality industrial meta-ecosystem:

The main focus of the third STARS Hack&Match event will be to develop and stimulate innovation and collaborations among more traditional and tech-savvy SMEs on the topic “Blockchain for railway processes, products and services”.

Hack&Match Event #3 – Agenda

• From 27/02/2022 to 26/03/2023 Opening of registrations 👉 Call for challenges

Registration form available here: https://forms.office.com/e/n71ukPuqXf 
 Target: in priority traditional SMEs operating/wishing to operate in the Railway and Multimodality sector

• From 20/03/2023 to 09/04/2023 Opening of registrations 👉 Call for solutions

Registration form available here :  https://forms.office.com/e/RCT4Jxur26

Target: in priority Tech-savvy SMEs operating/wishing to operate in the Railway and Multimodality sector

• 12/04/2023, 4:00 PM Launch event of the 3rd Hack&Match event (online)

Program:

• Presentation of the STARS project
• Presentation of the Hack&Match event #3 agenda & functioning
• Keynote about challenges of Blockchain for the railway industry
• Tutorship meeting
• Launch of the Hack&Match #3 🥳

• 13-14/04/2023 Teamwork part

Each participant will have approximately two full days to discover the  other SMEs in its team and to exchange with them in order to solve together the  challenge they chose.

The project partners as well as several experts in Blockchain for  railways will be present throughout the Hack&Match event to help, support  and challenge the participants in their collaborative innovation process.

All exchanges will take place 100% online. 

• 14/04/2023, 5:00PM  End of the workteam part

Each team must deliver its results by filling a template document, provided  by the organisers during the teamwork part, summarising the challenge they have  decided to address and the solutions they wish to implement to solve it.

• 14/04/2023, 5:00 to 6:00PM  Closure  meeting

Last meeting of the event, with all participants, organisers and experts.  An opportunity for the project partners to thank all the stakeholders for their  involvement and to give the next steps of the event and of the project.

• May (date to be determined)  Awarding  ceremony

Live event on the STARS social medias to announce to the participants  the winners of this first Hack&Match event, their prizes and to announce  also the topic and the date of the next Hack&Match!

HACK&MATCH MEANS ALSO MATCHMAKING ! 

During the  whole process described above (and even afterwards), we provide you a B2B  meeting platform to meet and exchange with all the participants and  stakeholders of the project, all the Hack&Match events participants &  experts and also other companies with an interest in our approach. 

An  opportunity for your company to meet new business and/or innovation partners!

Registration to the matchmaking platform: https://starseurope.b2match.io/