THE DIGITAL GATE IV: The Airport Innovation Challenge

    Athens International Airport (AIA) recognizing that innovative business ideas can enhance traditional activities by creating new services or even different ways of working with the contribution of technological development, organizes the program “The Digital Gate” with the scientific support of the Entrepreneurship Center and Innovation (ACEin) of the Athens University of Economics and Business.

    The aim of the program is the co-creation and implementation of business proposals that solve significant “challenges” in the field of transport and tourism. The program is looking for talented people who, with the participation of experienced airport staff, will propose innovative solutions that:

    • Can be implemented and improve airport operation and / or passenger experience
    • Can be technical or operational in nature
    • Use cutting-edge technologies that can be implemented in the airport environment
    • Can be implemented in the form of a prototype in a live working environment

    The benefits of the program

    The teams that will be formed will have the opportunity to develop their business proposals in a period of 3-4 months with the significant contribution and support of the experienced executives of AIA, as well as the methodology and the support of specialized members of the ACEin team. The teams that will reach the final phase of the Program will have the opportunity to design and pilot their product or service in a real environment. The program will end with a special event (demo day) during which participants will present their innovative solutions, their prototypes and the progress they have made throughout the program. Finally, they will have the opportunity to claim future collaborations and / or funding from AIA to continue to improve the operations and / or experience of airport passengers

    You can apply here https://bit.ly/DigitalGateIV 

    The program consists of three distinct phases:

    • 1st Phase (June-July): a) It concerns the identification of the "challenges" faced by the airport community, b) the formation of teams based on a specific methodology and c) the identification of the solution that will work in the next two phases.
    • 2nd Phase (July): It concerns the detailed planning of the business solution and the participation in trainings and mentoring / coaching sessions.
    • Phase 3 (August-December): It concerns the implementation and development of the prototype of the solution that has been designed.