Nuqleus’s Startup Builder program, designed for researchers aiming to develop their own startups, has kicked off its third generation at the Emerging Science Bootcamp held on December 9th and 10th at HUB385 in Zagreb. This year’s program brought together around 40 researchers and students from over 10 prestigious institutions, including the University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, the University of Zagreb Faculty of Science, the University of Split Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, the University of Zagreb Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, as well as representatives from the industrial sector.
Researchers and students, organized into 14 startup teams, will participate in Nuqleus’s program divided into three phases, aiming to develop their innovative ideas and technologies in fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, energy, biotechnology, and many others.
Day 1 – Presentation of program and teams, definition of problem and market positioning
The first day of the Emerging Science Bootcamp began with an introduction to the program and all participants. This was followed by a Problem Definition workshop, where teams had to define as precisely as possible what problem they were solving and for whom through several methodologies.
After that, through the “Market Opportunity Navigator” methodology, Nuqleus program participants had to position their capabilities and problem solutions within a broader market context and define their primary market opportunities. During the rest of the first phase of the program, teams will examine the market potential of the detected opportunities and analyze the risks and challenges in implementation.
The workshops on the first day were led by Sonja Radas, a scientific advisor from the Institute of Economics, Zagreb.
Day 2 – Workshop on the “Design Thinking” Methodology
The second day was dedicated to the “Design Thinking” methodology, led by Ivana Fabrio, Emil Flatz, and Vedran Kasap from the School of Design, Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb.
Through theory and practical examples, the mentors presented various design methodologies. Then the teams went through exercises to define the relevant personas for their startup, the user journey of those personas (Customer journey) and the principle of rapid prototyping with the best possible ratio of resources and functionality. The goal of this day was to place the teams in the perspective of human actors (“human centric”) whose problems they want to solve.
What Awaits Startup Teams in the Next Phase of the Program?
After the two-day bootcamp, the Startup Builder program continues with training sessions that will introduce teams to the world of startups and idea validation process. Participants will have the opportunity to gain knowledge about intellectual property management, prepare for a successful startup pitch, conduct market research and learn about financing opportunities for their commercial ventures. Those who demonstrate significant success in the first phase of the program will continue their entrepreneurial journey in the second phase, which will offer a unique combination of education, promotion, business networking, free resources, and access to investors.
This year’s bootcamp reaffirmed that the combination of scientific excellence and entrepreneurial spirit is the key to creating innovations that shape tomorrow.
