Can technology and innovation be promoted in mountain areas? The answer is yes, as long as there is a collaboration between research, industry and policymaking to prioritise and attract young entrepreneurs.
On 3 May 2022, Unimont organised the seminar “The role of technology and innovation in mountain youth entrepreneurship”. The event has brought together young people who have decided to stay in their territory to develop innovative projects, offering work and new opportunities to these areas.
The first case study was presented by Jaideep Bansal, who is running the Global Himalayan Expedition. It is using the potential of tourism coupled with technology to bring sustainable development to the remotest communities of India.
Another presentation was the Tree Flowers Solutions, focused on the circular economy. This Portuguese start-up founded by João Gonçalves is devoted to Research and Development (R&D), production and selling natural extracts and ingredients with innovative properties, for industrial application.
The speaker Ágnes Szabó-Diószeghy, the founder of Humtour, outlined that the project offers village and wildlife tours, team building programmes and a chance to engage with local communities. She also explained that the name of the project comes from “Humanitarian tourism”, which is based on her past as a volunteer in Venezuela.
Finally, Andrea Domenighini closed the session highlighting the work of LIMES Farm. This Italian start-up enables innovation and innovative communities in remote areas through mentoring services, economically sustainable spaces and stimulating the contamination of professional skills.
These four projects are in line with the goal set in the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022, as well as the objectives of MOVING H2020 project: combat climate change and contribute to the sustainable development of mountain areas. MOVING’s project will contribute to this objective by the establishment of new or upgraded value chains.
If you miss the third international seminar of the Youth4Mountains series, you can watch it here.