OPEN INNOVATION EVENTS FOR NEW IDEAS AND
NEW SKILLS

Every company that takes innovation seriously faces two problems: connecting internal innovation efforts to a broader ecosystem, and rapidly training a substantial number of team members in innovation and entrepreneurship.

FIVE ANNUAL “HACK” EVENTS

Each of the upcoming events – Hack Utilities 2, Hack Mobility, Hack Logistics, Hack Healthcare and Hack HR – will bring together an ecosystem of actors ready for Open Innovation: mature and startup companies, researchers, NGOs and government.

Participants will work on tough, complicated problems in their respective industries to create “hacks” – ingenious and unorthodox solutions and clearly defined next steps to implement them.

Each event will help you tap into a relevant ecosystem, forge new collaborations and explore new technologies. And, each event will quickly and effectively introduce basic innovation and entrepreneurship skills to your colleagues.

See the bigger picture behind the Hack events

here’s what the participants thought of our first Hack event, Hack Utilities

In our experience the innovation power of one company has its limits. And the innovation power of the company gets multiplied by connecting with other companies and events such as this. Often, the answer to a problem that the companies have it’s not inside but it’s also out there somewhere. And the “out there” you can only explore when you participate to these kind of events.

Hans Robben
Innovation Lead at Seth & Dunn

HOW IS THE CONTENT OF
EACH HACK CREATED?

We start by interviewing professionals across each of industries that we’ll be “hacking” to find out what big, strategic issues they and their respective companies and organizations face. Those become the Themes of our Hack events.

Then, we identify specific problems – the Challenges – and validate those Challenges in our online Ecosystem Workshops, one workshop per Theme.

Here’s how all of the
Hack events work

Day 1

Deep dives in the problems and opportunities delivered by a cross- functional team of experts
Two rounds of ideation and networking
Technology briefings: case studies of technology implementations from Belgium and abroad
Team formation and networking sessions
Idea stretching and validation with experts and users

Day 2

Solution mapping, elaboration and validation with experts & prosumers
Presentations to peers and panelists
Reception & networking

IN-PERSON EVENTS FOR THE COVID-19 ERA

Experience shows that online events do not provide the kind of human connection and collaborative creativity necessary for a successful innovation experience.

Hack Healthcare will take place in person with full range of precautions: number of participants within permitted limits, disposable masks and hand gels, overnight cleaning, etc.

In case tightened regulations make the events impossible on their scheduled dates, the events will be postponed by approximately 3 months.

Who should take part?

Hack events have been created for hands-on professionals: engineers, operations specialists, innovation managers and business developers. However, everyone in your company can benefit from taking part – from front-line staff to middle management to senior leaders.