Biotechnology innovation lab
and €5000-hackathon

Applications are closed, thanks to 100+ biotech enthusiasts who applied! Please see the timeline for more information.
Questions? Contact us using the form in the footer.
Applications closed:
Nov 2020
Teams formed:
Feb 2021
Final pitching event:
May 2021
24 Nov 2020
23:59 EET
Applications close: there is a limited number of places for Biocatalyst, and the demand is quite high - so be sure to put some effort into your application and don’t delay applying to the vey last moment ;)
27 Nov 2020
16:00 - 17:00 EET
Online kick-off: a 1-hour Zoom session where you will find out more about what you can expect from the event, learn about the next steps, and get introduced to some of our corporate and academic partners.
18 Dec 2020
16:00 - 17:00 EET
Online session #1: in preparation for this session, participants will be given some background reading on biotechnology basics; the goal of this session is to consolidate the new knowledge and introduce the challenge topics for this edition of Biocatalyst.
6 Feb 2021
16:00 - 17:00 EET
Online session #2: during the second preparatory session, we will have a guest speaker over as well as do some team-building.
4 Mar 2021
19:00 - 20:00 EET
Online session #3: the last Zoom session will be dedicated to brainstorming and ideation, and will feature a workshop on design thinking and problem solving, as well as a lecture about commercializing deep-tech and bringing science-based products to the market.
May 2021
Date TBA
Online finals: the selected teams will present their research and solutions to a panel of professionals for a chance to win one of the cash prizes from our €5000 pool provided by Riga Technical University Student Innovation Grants.
1
Meet executives and top researchers in the leading biotechnology companies and startups
2
Understand how biotech is going to reshape every aspect of our lives - a lecture by RethinkX
3
Learn to look for unmet needs and formulate ideas based on design thinking principles
4
Work in teams on a biotech solution to a real challenge, with help from experienced mentors
5
Present your ideas and solutions to our panel of experts from academia and business world
6
Win valuable prizes for the best idea and solution presentations, from our 5000 EUR prize fund
7
Enjoy free snacks and drinks during the event, incl. coffee breaks, lunch, and the closing banquet
8
Connect with new interesting people, likeminded enthusiasts, and biotech nerds
The Event

Biocatalyst is a workshop and hackathon event focused on learning to formulate topical problems and discussing potential solutions in biotechnology, bioinformatics, and biomedicine.

The event brings together 30-40 ambitious students in the fields of biology, engineering, and business; there will be a lot of knowledge-sharing, problem-solving, and pizza-eating, together with the representatives from our academic and corporate partners!

Big Picture

There is a mounting consensus that the biotech industry is about to undergo a massive growth phase as a result of converging technologies (genetics, big data, machine learning) that will transform not only health, but also food, materials, and possibly every other part of our lives.

We strongly believe that the Baltic States are in a favorable position to benefit from this trend over the next 5-10 years. The goal of the Biocatalyst is to strengthen the Baltic biotech community and reinforce the Baltics as the local hub for bio research and business.

Partners

We cooperate with the biggest academic institutions from the region and the leading innovative enterprises, with the help of RTU team and under the patronage of LIAA and the European Institute of Technology Alumni network:

European Institute of Technology
Health Alumni network Baltics
Latvijas Investīciju un attīstības aģentūra
Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Application and participation is completely free of charge.
Participants will be selected based on application quality:
Questions? Drop us a line to hello@biocatalyst.eu