Programme Shine 2022/2023 in Slovakia
The Swiss Re Foundation along with Swiss Re has supported the next generation of social innovators in Slovakia through the Shine programme since 2021.
The aim of the Shine programme is to help social innovators translate their ideas and solutions into scalable business models to maximise social impact, together with the Swiss Re Foundation, Pontis Foundation and BOOKBRIDGE.
In the recent months, its winner – tirn technology and the Shine team – worked on a scalable business model for new social innovation: a zero-emission bus simulator. It is the first digital tool for better collaboration between cities, operators & manufacturers trying to decarbonize public transport around the world.
Programme Shine 2022/2023 in Slovakia
Social innovator tirn technologywas awarded a total grant of €25,000 from the Swiss Re Foundation.
"We applied to the Shine programme in 2022 and we were luckily selected as a social innovator. We had the chance to work closely with 8 professionals from the insurance world and together we deep-dived into our business model, analysed it and worked on our weak spots. In the end we had the opportunity to present our findings before Swiss Re investors, and we received valuable feedback with an offer for future collaboration. The great value of the project was its leadership aspect, where we also had the chance to work on ourselves and develop leadership skills", said Juraj Majera, CEO of tirn technology.
What does the new social innovation mean for transport in our cities?
Imagine that you are the mayor of a city, and you need to comply with new EU guidelines to transition to more ecological zero emission bus (ZEB) transportation. For Slovakia it means that at least 17% of newly procured buses must be zero-emission in the period of 2021-2025 and 24% in the period of 2026-2030.
“Due to their disproportional emission production, buses are currently a crucial part of decarbonization strategies. Buses are just 1% of all vehicles on the road, but the source of 25% of emissions in the road transport sector“, says Juraj Majera. He adds that many mayors & bus operators, not only in Europe, are facing this transition challenge. Which also means high upfront investment, demanding mobility tenders, and a lack of operational data to plan a substantial decarbonisation strategy.
Thanks to tirn’s solution, public transport operators can easily predict multiple scenarios of any future operation, and gain virtual insight into their future bus operations, charging requirements, the TCO (total cost of ownership), carbon footprint, and much more. Secondly, municipalities can create an efficient decarbonisation strategy by simulating and analysing multiple scenarios. “The result is a tailor-made strategy with detailed parameters for a tender, indicating insights into future costs and social impact. Lastly, the commercial teams of bus manufacturers can gain more customers and win tenders thanks to easier customer support and creating a bespoke offer for their specific needs”, says the CEO of tirn technology.
Swiss Re has just opened the new round of the Shine programme with a grant scheme of €25,000 for social innovators in Slovakia
Swiss Re is looking for social innovation in Slovakia and launching the next Shine programme edition of 2023/2024. The application process is open until 9th May 2023 and the innovative solutions should address a critical social or ecological challenge. The winning entrepreneur can receive a grant of up to 25,000 euros and 6-month mentoring from world experts, business coaches and leaders from Swiss Re. Click here to find out more: http://ow.ly/abEG50NITFE
"Striving for sustainability is a journey. We will continue with our efforts in the upcoming months, looking for ways to support and encourage those who, with passion, in innovative ways, and with an entrepreneurial spirit, are working and contributing towards more resilient and sustainable societies. I encourage everyone to seize this opportunity. Let us work together," said Nima Motazed, Managing Director Slovakia and Head Global Business Solutions Swiss Re.
The focus of the social innovation should be in the areas of transformation to Net-Zero (renewable energy, afforestation, recycling, etc); healthy nutrition; access to health; climate-smart agriculture or disaster risk management. Applicants must display high levels of innovation in their product, service and/or delivery. They must be early-stage enterprises with a self-sustaining revenue model, and have an established proof of concept for their offering, as well as looking to accelerate their growth. They should demonstrate a strong social purpose and commitment, and an outcome-focused approach to their impact area.
The grant is awaiting another innovative solution. Swiss Re alongside partners will select an aspiring/early stage entrepreneur based on his/her holistic understanding of the social challenge, scalability and innovative approach to the solution, among other parameters, announcing the results in June 2023.
Time Schedule of the 2023/2024 Shine Programme
12 April – 9 May 2023
Registration of projects to the programme
10 May – 19 May 2023
Evaluation and shortlisting of projects
22 May – 2 June 2023
Final selection of projects
5 June – 9 June 2023
Announcement of results
September 2023 – March 2024
6-month acceleration program
This article has been brought to you by Swiss Re.
