Agenda
Explore the agenda and detailed descriptions of each session.
October 2nd
Floor 24
IE Tower
17h30 - 18h00
18h00 - 18h30
Welcome Coffee
Warm welcome with coffee and light refreshments while completing registration.
Opening Words and Program Information
The event will begin with opening remarks from Prof. Paris de L'Etraz and Robert Polding. Following this, Angela Rella, Program Coordinator, will deliver a detailed overview of the program, walking students through the agenda and key activities planned for each day.
Ideas Presentation
In this session, students who have a project idea will deliver an elevator pitch focusing on the problem they aim to solve, their proposed solution, and the target market. While presenting an idea is optional, this is a great opportunity to share concepts, find potential teammates, and refine ideas for further development.
Team Formation
In this session, students will connect with peers from diverse backgrounds to build strong, multidisciplinary teams. Through different phases, they will explore potential collaborations and finalize their teams. Students have until Friday October 3rd, at 21h to form their teams.
October 3rd
Floor 6, classroom T-06.01
IE Tower
18h00 - 19h00
19h00 - 19h30
19h30 - 20h30
October 4th
Floor 1
María de Molina 31
11h00 - 14h30
11h00 - 14h30
Data Science for Circular Economy
In this session we will explore how data science can enable and accelerate the transition to a circular economy, with a focus on practical startup innovation. We will begin by framing the circular economy as a conceptual and systemic alternative to the linear model, drawing on illustrative real-world cases. Using collective intelligence techniques, we’ll explore how early-stage tech startups can align with circular principles and contribute to closing material loops, extending product life, or supporting reuse systems. A typology of data science contributions to the circular economy will guide our ideation, exploring by core function, value-chain stage, data-science maturity and business model, including key topics such as traceability, predictive analytics, digital platforms, and behavioral modeling. Students will work in groups to map these contributions onto their own startup concepts, identifying circular strategies and opportunities for impact.
October 10th
Area 31, María de Molina 31
October 6th
Floor 12, workroom T-12.10
IE Tower
By appointment
10h00 - 15h00
17h00 - 21h00
October 13th
Floor 24th
IE Tower
15h00 - 17h30
17h30 - 20h00
20h00 - 21h00
Team Formation and Mixer Ideas
This session provides students with additional time to elaborate on their ideas, refine their concepts, and connect with potential teammates. Through interactive discussions and networking, students will explore collaborations and form diverse, balanced teams to bring their ideas to life.
Business Narrative Development
This session helps students craft a compelling story around their project by refining their value proposition, clarifying their problem-solution fit, and structuring their pitch. The focus is on developing a clear, engaging narrative that effectively communicates their idea’s impact and potential.
First Look: Presentation & Prototype Reveal
In this session, students will present their problem, solution, prototype, and technical approach, focusing on the value proposition and benefits. Professors Ikhlaq Sidhu, Robert Polding, Paris de L'Etraz along with mentors will provide feedback during the 3-minute pitch and 3-5 minute Q&A (for each team). All the teams must schedule their preferred slot and present this day.
Projects Previews and Feedback
In this session, students will present brief previews of their projects and receive valuable feedback from Professors Ikhlaq Sidhu, Robert Polding, Paris de L'Etraz along with mentors. It is an opportunity to refine ideas and solutions before the final presentation.
Semi-Final Presentation
In this session, all teams will deliver a 90-second Elevator Pitch designed to capture the audience's attention and generate interest in their project.
After all pitches are presented, the Internal Jury will deliberate and select the Top 5 Teams to advance to the Final Round.
Final Presentation
The five selected teams will have the opportunity to present their full projects in a 5-minute presentation—3 minutes focused on the business idea and 2 minutes for the tech demo. This will be followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the External Jury. After deliberation, the jury will announce the three winning teams.
Closing Cocktail
The closing cocktail offers an opportunity for students, mentors, and guests to celebrate the completion of the program.
18h30 - 19h00
19h00 - 20h00
20h00 - 21h00
15h30 - 17h00
Icebreaker Session
Students will be able to build connections, and create a collaborative atmosphere from the start. This opportunity will be ideal to encourage engagement by inviting students to share ideas and working together.
Chat with a Keynote Speaker
A conversation with a keynote speaker on ideation and what makes a great idea. The discussion will cover key elements of strong ideas, practical guidelines, and insights from the speaker’s entrepreneurial journey, including major challenges and lessons learned. The goal is to inspire students to think big and develop impactful solutions.
Mentors Allocation
Mentors will have the opportunity to select the teams they will mentor based on their expertise and the project’s needs. This ensures a strong alignment between mentors and teams, providing tailored guidance, insights, and support throughout the program.
Tech Session: Web & AI
Web: This session covers the essentials of full-stack web development, focusing on back-end architecture and a brief overview of front-end components. Professor Robert Polding will provide valuable insights into back-end systems and workflows, helping students build a strong foundation. The session will also explore practical ways to connect back-end and front-end architectures effectively.
AI: This session explores the practical application of AI in development, focusing on deploying AI models within a PythonAnywhere backend using the OpenAI API. We will expand the baseline code with a primer to incorporate AI functionalities such as voice-to-text, and image and video interpretation and creation, concluding with a bonus segment on prompt engineering.
Final Project Presentations
General Guidelines
