Winning a prize at a hackathon is exciting. But getting an invitation a month later from the company whose challenge you worked on? That’s a different kind of recognition. And that’s exactly what happened to participants of PORTATHON 2026, when Klaipėda Free Economic Zone (FEZ) invited teams back to take a closer look at their proposed solutions. At the international port technology hackathon held in September, Klaipėda FEZ presented an ambitious challenge: to develop an AI-powered platform for industrial resilience and emergency coordination. One of the participating teams, FEZ Guard, developed a prototype of an incident management platform and secured second place in the competition.
However, a few minutes on stage hardly provide enough time to explore the full potential of an idea, especially when dealing with complex industrial safety challenges. So, roughly a month after PORTATHON, the teams that had tackled the FEZ challenge were invited to meet with industry representatives for a much more detailed discussion.
When ideas face serious questions
During the meeting, teams explained how their proposed solutions would work, discussed technical possibilities and explored their potential applications in real industrial settings. There was no shortage of questions. FEZ experts examined the proposals closely, shared their experience and offered further insights into the challenges they encounter in their daily operations.
These conversations also highlighted one of the most interesting aspects of hackathons. Even professionals with decades of industry experience can be surprised by an unexpected approach to a familiar problem. Fresh perspectives can prompt experts to reconsider established ways of thinking, while their questions help participants better understand what it would actually take to put their ideas into practice.
“We’re delighted that the Klaipėda FEZ team took the time to explore the participants’ proposals in greater detail. During a hackathon, teams have only a few minutes to present their ideas, while meetings like this provide an opportunity to examine their potential much more thoroughly. It’s also an invaluable experience for participants, who get to hear directly from the people dealing with these challenges every day,” says Erika Zavackienė, Project Manager at Klaipeda Science and Technology Park.
Building an innovation ecosystem that lasts
Klaipeda Science and Technology Park organises a range of initiatives, including PORTATHON, to strengthen collaboration between businesses, researchers, technology developers and emerging talent. Over its eight editions, the hackathon has brought together people with different backgrounds and perspectives to develop fresh ideas and tackle challenges faced by businesses and society. We firmly believe that the success of initiatives like PORTATHON should also be measured by what happens afterwards: the connections that grow stronger, the conversations that continue and the ideas that are taken further.
“Klaipeda has everything it needs to develop a strong innovation ecosystem, where established companies and organisations collaborate with emerging startups, young innovators and the research community. Experienced industry players bring real-world challenges, practical expertise and opportunities to test new solutions, while emerging innovators contribute fresh perspectives, creativity and new ideas,” says Erika Zavackienė, Project Manager at Klaipeda Science and Technology Park.
This kind of collaboration can help drive technological innovation and strengthen the Klaipeda region’s long-term competitiveness. We therefore encourage innovation teams to reach out for advice, expert feedback and support in refining their products and preparing them for the market.
