Under the theme “Forest as a Reinterpreted Product”, participants will explore opportunities within the forest-based bioeconomy. The challenge invites them to look beyond timber and consider the wider benefits of forests, including recreation, wellbeing, education, biodiversity and non-wood forest products.
The programme will open with an introduction to Pannon Future Forest by Judit Kis-Pongrácz from Pannon EGTC, followed by a presentation on forests and regenerative tourism by Boris Ljubojević from Hrvatske šume. Professors Anamarija Delić and Aleksandar Erceg from the Faculty of Economics and Business at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek will introduce the competition rules and working process.
During the morning, teams will use design thinking to explore customer needs and develop their ideas. They will then build their business models using the Business Model Canvas and prepare their presentations, with guidance and mentoring from project partners.
The afternoon will feature team presentations, jury evaluation and the announcement of the winning teams. The aim is to turn creative thinking into business concepts that connect customer needs with the responsible use and long-term protection of forests.
Date: 5 November 2026
Location: Osijek, Croatia
Programme: Registration from 9:30; activities from 10:00 to 16:30.