Hack Smart Sofia 2026 is coming!
Designed as an intensive, fully on-site hackathon built on challenge-based and venture-building methodologies.
The programme will bring together international and interdisciplinary student teams to work on real urban challenges in a highly interactive, time-bound format.
Organised as a Spring School initiative in the field of Business Administration, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the event positions entrepreneurship education as an active driver of sustainable urban development.
Approximately 40 Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students from ERUA partner universities will work in interdisciplinary and international teams to address real urban challenges.
The Timeline of the Programme:
Preparation Stage: 15th and 16th June – Visiting Sofia Tech Park and familiarising with the city of Sofia and its challenges
The Hackathon Stage at NBU: 17 – 19 June.
The Programme of the Hackathon Stage follows a structured innovation process:
Day 1/17th of June – Problem Exploration & Validation:
Participants are introduced to real Smart City challenges and work in teams to analyse urban problems, map stakeholders, conduct rapid user research, and validate the relevance of theselected challenges.
Day 2/18th of June – Solution Design & Prototyping:
Teams refine and select solutions using assumption-based validation methods, develop early prototypes and Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), and experiment with digital, AI, and no-code tools where relevant.
Day 3/19th of June – Testing, Pitching & Sharing:
Teams test their MVPs through real-world feedback using the “go out of the room” approach, iterate based on evidence, and develop pitch decks. Final solutions are presented to a professional jury, with the most promising ideas receiving awards and opportunities for further development.
Participants who complete the full programme and final pitch will receive 3 ECTS credits and/or certificates.
Meet the Mentors!
Our mentors are experienced professionals, innovators, and educators who bring real-world insights into entrepreneurship, technology, and business development.
They will guide participants through every stage of their journey – from idea validation to execution – offering valuable feedback, strategic direction, and inspiration.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Juliana Vassileva
Assoc. Prof. Dr Juliana Vassileva is a faculty member at New Bulgarian University, specialising in entrepreneurship, innovation, and AI in business. She actively works with students on developing entrepreneurial ideas, guiding them from concept to impact through challenge-based learning and international initiatives. As national coordinator of GUESSS Bulgaria and a HEInnovate expert, she focuses on building entrepreneurial ecosystems and supporting the next generation of innovators.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Artūras Jurgelevičius
Artūras Jurgelevičius, PhD is an Associate Professor at Mykolas Romeris University
(Lithuania) and a startup and entrepreneurship expert at the Lithuanian Innovation Centre. He leads the Bachelor’s program in Business Management and Startups and actively mentors and evaluates early-stage ventures. His work focuses on startup ecosystems, entrepreneurship education, and innovation management. Artūras Jurgelevičius has extensive experience in startup development, including investment attraction, business model validation, and go-to-market strategy. He is also the founder of Careerfy and an organizer of international startup initiatives such as Venturethon and hackathons.
Prof. Dr Albrecht Söllner
Albrecht Söllner is Professor of International Management at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, with more than 20 years of experience in international management, institutional economics, and organizational research. He has an extensive track record in designing and leading large-scale, externally funded research and doctoral programs and has strong international exposure as a conference speaker and visiting professor and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. He collaborates with partner universities within the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA) in the field of social innovation and maintains close relationships with corporate partners and start-ups.
Dr. Agnieszka Młodzińska-Granek
Dr. Agnieszka Młodzińska-Granek is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Social Sciences at SWPS University in Poland. Throughout her academic career in Poland, Germany and the USA, she has specialised in researching the relationship between science and business. She currently researches and co-creates impact innovation ecosystems that take environmental issues into account, applying a new ethical approach to technologies that should serve as tools for solving the most pressing global challenges and benefiting society as a whole. Over the past eight years, she has assessed the potential of over 200 start-ups in STEM, the social sciences, and the humanities. She has experience of working on Polish and international programmes that support innovation development, including the Start Smart CEE Accelerator, the SmartUp Accelerator, the Innovation Incubator 4.0, the Startup Booster for Social Impact and the Innovation Coach.
Research Assistant Meike Joseph
Meike Joseph has been working as a research assistant at the Chair of International Management at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) since November 2024. In her teaching role, she supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate students in lectures, tutorials and seminars. As a PhD candidate in Economics, her research focuses on the algorithmic personalisation of music streaming services and its impact on identity formation and social exclusion. She also researches fan cultures in pop music, with a particular focus on the antagonistic dimension of fanatical communities.
Dr. Justyna Berniak-Woźny
Dr. Justyna Berniak-Woźny holds a PhD in Social Sciences from Leeds Metropolitan University and an MBA from Oxford Brookes University. She specializes in corporate social responsibility (CSR)/sustainable development, social capital, and business process management. She is the author of numerous national and international scientific publications and training programs in these areas. A certified business trainer and accredited tutor, she is also a certified Project Manager (PMP, Agile PM Practitioner, Prince2) with many years of experience in managing projects in the field of green and digital transformation.
