Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition

The Crazy Business Ideas competition is open to the public, so anyone with an innovative idea, adults and minors (with the necessary consent) can participate.

Video testimonial of the winner of the Crazy Business Ideas 2024 Competition

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Description

The Crazy Business Ideas competition is open to the public and therefore anyone with an innovative idea, adults and minors (with the necessary consent) may participate. Participation can be in the form of an individual or as a group. In case of a group participation, the maximum number of participants, per group, is four (4). Each participant (individual or group) may participate with one or more ideas. Applicants who have participated in the “CRAZY BUSINESS IDEAS” Competition in previous years mav compete in the Competition, but not with the same idea.

To participate in the competition, you must submit your idea through the landing page within the IST College website (www.ist.edu.gr). You should submit a brief text describing the idea, along a photo or video of the idea including your personal details (name, e-mail and age) and (if a minor) the written consent of your parents.

Ideas are evaluated by a panel of selected entrepreneurs, professors, and well known personalities.

The 50 teams/candidates who qualify will have the opportunity to attend the Business Plan and Pitching seminars and will be invited to prepare their Business Plan and Pitching presentation under the guidance of IST College, with the support and advice of academics and market professionals (mentors). Subsequently, they will be required to submit their Business Plans for evaluation, from which the 10 most promising ideas will be selected. These 10 shortlisted ideas will be invited to participate in a “Business Marathon” (Crazy Business Ideas Fest), where the presentations of the ideas will take place based on their Business Plans, along with networking activities.

The short idea presentations for each of the 10 participants will be made in front of the panel committee and the audience attending the event at the IST College premises.

Crazy Business Ideas Competition Objectives – 2026

IST College’s Crazy Business Ideas Competition aims to strengthen the entrepreneurial mindset and skills of young people. It supports youth entrepreneurship and innovative ideas. Our goal is to create incentives and conditions for young people who will consciously choose to become active in entrepreneurship. We must therefore create all those synergies and partnerships which, on the one hand, will lay the foundations for an ‘ecosystem’ of cultivation and support for the initiative and, on the other hand, will bring financial benefits to all involved through their interaction with the future generation.

2026 Competition Awards

The prizes of this year’s Competition were as follows:

1st prize winner:

3,000€ seed capital to turn his idea into a business (seed capital).

One (1) full scholarship for a Diploma programme offered at IST College.

2nd prize winner:

One (1) full scholarship* for an undergraduate programme offered at IST College.

3rd prize winner:

One (1) full scholarship* for a postgraduate programme offered at IST College.

* The scholarship will cover full tuition fees, except for royalties to the collaborating university. In the event that the 2nd and 3rd winners are a group rather than individual entries, the scholarship for the undergraduate and graduate program respectively, will be awarded to all members of the group distributed at a discounted rate, depending on the number of individuals interested in attending the respective program.

Educational institutions are a source of knowledge, but also a reservoir of ideas. Students therefore must adopt a new educational philosophy, based on modern knowledge and continuous training, fostering entrepreneurship, promoting innovation and opening new horizons.

IST College takes into serious consideration the needs of Greek society, understanding that today’s conditions require the development of close and effective cooperation between educational institutions and businesses. Therefore, it adopts an innovative model of studies named “business facing”. It is no coincidence that the majority of the universities with which IST College collaborates (Catholic University of Lyon, Glyndwr University, College De Paris, etc.) have invested substantially and have distinguished themselves for promoting entrepreneurship among young people as well as for its link between education and the labour market.

This action was designed with the aforementioned in mind, aiming to encourage young people from all over Greece to think of an innovative idea and challenge them to transform it into a business proposal, thus giving ground for young start-up entrepreneurship to flourish.

The action is non-profit and does not aim to create any financial profit for IST College. On the contrary, as mentioned above and in order to facilitate and properly guide the participants in preparing their participation, IST College offers free support activities such as business plan training seminars as well as financial support and scholarships.

This action is targeted to the general public, involving a large number of young people who, either as participants or as observers, are motivated to think and act entrepreneurs.

In addition, young people are given the opportunity to experience a “virtual business reality”. The purpose of the competition is to encourage the young generation to step up and put their ideas into practice. IST College, provides them with significant support in this direction. The participants are provided with the opportunity to create contacts with renowned entrepreneurs, thus opening a channel of communication with the business community during the competition, IST College guides these young people in their first steps, offering advice, putting them in contact with the relevant services, planning with them promotional and publicity activities, etc.

As an educational institution, IST College possesses both the experience and the expertise to organize and support a competition in entrepreneurship and innovation. This particular competition has been conducted with great success over the past three years, with the contribution of distinguished academics and entrepreneurs as members of the judging committee, as well as with the participation of the institution’s academic and administrative staff, who have many years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the market.

Furthermore, in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, the Crazy Business Ideas competition was also held under the auspices of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a fact that added prestige to the competition and undoubtedly contributed to its even greater success compared to 2011, the first year of its organization. The current competition is also held under the auspices of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family.

In addition, IST College has significant experience in organizing competitions and major events, having for many years organized various initiatives such as the series of lectures and presentations “Business Voice,” which consists of talks delivered by invited guests—prominent business executives from all sectors of the economy—aimed at informing students about topics related to the companies in which they are employed and which they represent. The “IST on Site” initiative concerns a series of educational visits by students to companies and organizations, during which students are guided through the facilities of the company and come into contact with its executives, gaining knowledge and an understanding of the working environment.

Finally, the fact that IST College generally possesses the mechanism, the experience and the know-how to support and implement large-scale projects and events is also evident from the fact that IST College, for many years, has undertaken and implemented—either as a leader or as a partner in international collaborations—programs co-financed by the European Union, most of which have had an educational or research dimension and have focused on young people.

Evaluation Criteria Crazy Business Ideas

Business Plans (Table 1) Score/Severity

Jury (Business Plans)

Degree of idea implementation 20%

Realism 10%

Opportunity/market niche 10%

Quality/relevance of business plan 30%

Performance 10%

Structure 10%

Financial figures 10%

Innovation 20%

Vision 10%

Idea differentiation 10%

Presentation 30%

Total 100%

The criteria of the quality of the presentation and essentially the ability of each team to explain, promote and “sell” its idea will play an equally important role in the final evaluation of the committee.

Out of the 10 ideas presented, the 3 best ideas will be awarded (1st, 2nd and 3rd winner). The final score will be derived from the evaluation based on the degree of idea implementation, quality/value of business plan and innovation (Table 1).

Finally, the 3 highest scoring teams will also receive an award from IST College at an event at IST premises.

John Bratakos was born in 1968. He studied Production & Management and completed postgraduate studies in Political Economy at the London School of Economics & Political Science. In 1999, he co-founded the company DD Synergy, and has been active in the field of Information Technology, specifically in SAP software services, since 1995.
He served as a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of the company “GRIGORIS MICROGEOFYMMATA” and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the consulting firm CAPE CONSULTING.
He has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Athens Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI) since 2006. In December 2017, he was elected Vice President of the ACCI, taking on issues related to innovation, new technologies, startups, investments, and the Greek startup ecosystem.
He was a member of the Governing Board of the Development & Progress Company (ETAP) of ACCI, a member of the monitoring committee of the National Reform Program aimed at achieving the objectives of the revised Lisbon Strategy, and a representative of the ACCI in the Information & Communication Technologies and New Technologies Committee of EUROCOMMERCE.
In February 2021, he joined the Athens University of Economics and Business as a member of the Strategic Advisory Committee for Postgraduate Studies in Service Management.
In September 2021, he was elected President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce & Industry and appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Athens Business Development Association, from November 2021 to August 2022.
In August 2022, he assumed the duties of Secretary-General to the Prime Minister and served as Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister until March 2024.
In December 2024, he was re-elected as President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Mr. Michalis Dritsas is an executive with 33 years of experience in leadership roles across the private and public sectors.

He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a BSc/MSc in Industrial Management and Operational Research, and an MBA (Lancaster University) with Distinction.

He is a member of:

  • The Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE),
  • The Economic Chamber of Greece (OEE),
  • The Hellenic Association of Mechanical and Electrical Engineers (PSDMH),
  • The UK Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

He is an executive at the Ministry of National Economy and Finance / Management Organisation Unit of Development Programs (MOU SA) / Special Service for the Coordination of Planning, Evaluation, and Implementation (EYSSEA) of the NSRF (National Strategic Reference Framework).

Mr. Dritsas was the first CEO of Elevate Greece SA (2023), actively contributing to the initial development of the initiative under the Ministry of Development and Investments with the support of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI).

Eleni Foti is the Director of International Trade Relations at the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (www.acci.gr) and the Director of the Athens Startup Business Incubator (THEA – www.THEAthensincube.gr).She holds academic degrees from the Athens University of Economics and Business (M.Sc. in Marketing and Communication with New Technologies), from ALBA Graduate Business School (Professional MBA), and from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (B.Sc. in Economics). She is also a Ph.D. candidate at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences.Additionally, she is responsible for European and national projects focusing on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Youth Employment. She actively participates in working groups and committees on these topics at both the European and national levels.

Dr. Fay Plakantonaki is the Academic Director of the Department of Economics and Business Studies at IST College and teaches at the University of West Attica in the fields of Production Technologies, Innovative Design, and Sustainability. She is also a Postdoctoral Researcher at the National Center for Research and Technological Development.

She holds a PhD in Circular Economy and Sustainable Production (University of West Attica), a degree in Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), and two Master’s degrees: one in Environment & Health (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – NKUA) and another in E-Learning (University of Piraeus).

Her work focuses on bridging research and education with practice, developing innovative materials and products with a low environmental footprint, and designing learning programs and educational initiatives. She believes in purpose-driven learning and in promoting entrepreneurial solutions that advance sustainability and social responsibility.

George Vousinas has over 20 years of experience as an executive in the financial sector and as a business consultant with Big Four firms and other leading audit and advisory companies. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Growth Value, a consulting firm providing advisory services to Greek and multinational companies. He has overseen numerous domestic and international projects across financial services, telecommunications, energy, industry, and commerce, as well as for organizations within the broader public sector.

Also, he is a distinguished Professor in the field of financial sciences, collaborating with Greek and international academic institutions, and serves as a research associate at the Center for Financial Studies and Education (KEMEX) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA).

He holds a degree in Economics from the NKUA, a Master’s in Financial Management from the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), and a Master’s in Telecommunications Networks and Information Systems Management from the NKUA, as well as doctoral studies in Supply Chain Management at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).

Dr. Vousinas has internationally recognized research activity (with a significant number of citations), including publications in academic journals, book chapters, and papers presented at both academic and business-oriented conferences in Greece and abroad. His research interests include political economy, emerging technologies, economics, geopolitics, internal auditing, and fraud. Among other achievements, he is the author of the most recent internationally recognized anti-fraud theory, the Fraud Hexagon Theory, and the Founder and President of the Hellenic Institute of Political Economy (HIPE).

Appointed as Director General of the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA) in 2021, she has led a major transformation of the organization, driving a comprehensive restructuring, an eightfold increase in membership (353 leading companies from the maritime community and beyond), and the establishment of the award-winning HELMEPA Academy and Sustainability Programs.

A Senior Executive with over 27 years of expertise, she has a proven track record in leading complex, large-scale transnational and cross-sector sustainable projects. She combines an in-depth understanding of European policies with knowledge across Sustainable Development, Environment, Blue Economy, Entrepreneurship and Training.

With hands-on experience across sectors, she has played key roles in founding companies, navigating corporate environments, contributing to the public sector, and leading social enterprises and NGOs.

For 24 consecutive years, she has served as the National Editor of the European Commission’s Standard Eurobarometer Surveys and as a Senior Consultant for over 85 European projects. Actively promoting gender equality, she was appointed National Ambassador for the World Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) in partnership with the United Nations and U.S. State Department (2014). She has also coordinated the Greek section of the European Network of Mentors for Women Entrepreneurs, chaired the European Center for Women and Technology Entrepreneurship Alliance, and served as Lead Ambassador for the award-winning Employability Skills Accelerator, recognized with multiple awards.

She has personally envisioned and developed impactful training programs, including courses, masterclasses, and labs on topics such as Sustainable Development, Soft Skills, and Diversity. She has also led awareness campaigns that engage and inspire thousands of European citizens, earning numerous awards for their impact.

Her portfolio includes strong collaborations with distinguished institutions and key market players, such as Prince’s Trust International (founded by HM King Charles III), the European Parliament Office, European Commission Representation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and leading corporations like Vodafone, METLEN, Alpha Bank, and Papadopoulou, to name a few. She has also partnered with numerous Greek municipalities, government bodies, and academic and research institutes.

Her published papers, interviews, and media features highlight her contributions to social issues, education, and lifelong learning. She has been recognized as a mentor in the MIT Greece Startup Competition, CapsuleT Travel & Hospitality Accelerator, Mellon Angel, and as a Branding Heritage Ambassador, among others.

Born and raised in Athens, she lived abroad for ten years (USA, France, Belgium), and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Sociology (Honors – Cum Laude, Northeastern University, Boston) and a master’s degree in International Politics (Honors, University of Brussels).

Thanos Mytilinaios serves as the HR Manager at the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA/OLP-COSCO Shipping). He holds a degree in Economics and a master’s degree in human resource management.

He began his career in London, where he worked on the development of innovative e-recruitment and career management applications. Upon returning to Greece, he played an active role in the establishment of Citizens’ Service Centers and subsequently worked on various staffing, evaluation, and human resource development projects as a Business Consultant.

For the past 15 years, he has held HR Director positions at the Athens Euroclinic Group and in the pharmaceutical companies DEMO and FAMAR.

Fanis Matsopoulos, born in Athens, is a graduate of The American College of Greece – Pierce College. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Athens University of Economics and Business and an MSc in Maritime Studies from the University of Piraeus (with distinction). His thesis on global coal and iron markets and the Baltic Capesize Index was published in a scientific conference. He is also a certified shipbroker by the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (UK), with distinction in Shipping Finance.
From 2012 to 2015, he served as Director of the Trading Department at DCC Bulk Group, overseeing dry bulk trading, chartering, and hedging (commodities & freight). Since 2015, he has been President of Universal Carriers S.A., providing integrated transport services to Greek and international business groups, and since 2023 he has been the CEO of the Port Authority of Rafina.
He has been an elected member of the Board of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) since 2017, a key contributor to the ACCI “White Paper – Greece 2040,” and responsible for Greece’s bilateral relations with Ukraine, South Africa, India, and Libya. He writes for Dealnews and collaborates with Forbes International Magazine, IBT, and The Epoch Times on global economy and geopolitics.He has been a guest speaker at numerous universities.

He teaches Ship Sale & Purchase (S&P) at undergraduate and postgraduate level at BCA – The Business College of Athens since 2019.

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