The First Edition of the Eco-Digithon: Innovation Comes to Spello
From July 3rd to 5th, 2025, the picturesque town of Spello, in the Umbria Region (Italy), became the vibrant setting for the first international edition of the Eco-Digithon, an initiative under the ENNEPlus project aiming to empower VET students through digital and green innovation.
The event brought together the winning teams from four national hackathons held in Austria, Italy, Portugal and Spain, where young participants had co-created local solutions to pressing environmental challenges. In Spello, they shared and presented their projects in the framework of the VIX Edition of the Social Hackathon Umbria., an established European event dedicated to social impact through technology and community-driven innovation.
During the event, participants benefited from a wide range of enriching experiences that combined learning, collaboration, and exchange:
Collaborative working sessions with international peers
Where teams refined their project ideas, shared perspectives on local challenges, and explored how different contexts across Europe approach sustainability and digital innovation. These sessions fostered intercultural dialogue and built a strong sense of European identity and cooperation.
Mentoring by experts in sustainability, digital tools, and entrepreneurship
Who offered hands-on guidance to help participants improve the feasibility, impact and presentation of their solutions. Through tailored feedback, participants learned how to structure their ideas, communicate their value, and prepare for real-world implementation.
Networking with policy-makers, educators, and social innovators
Allowing participants to present their work to a broader audience and receive input from professionals with experience in education, policy, and the social economy. These exchanges inspired many to think beyond the event and envision future opportunities for scaling their ideas or developing new ones.
The Eco-Digithon in Spello was more than a final stage — it was a celebration of youth creativity, teamwork, and commitment to a greener future. Participants not only improved their ideas, but also gained confidence, visibility, and inspiration to continue innovating in their local contexts.
The projects developed during the event addressed topics such as efficient water management, sustainable mobility in rural areas, smart recycling, and environmental awareness through educational video games.
This successful first edition laid the foundation for the next Eco-Digithon, opening new doors to international cooperation and reinforcing the role of VET education in shaping sustainable societies.
Spello 2025 marked the beginning of a movement — and the journey continues.
Please, visit the VET Projects section to meet the VET teams and their project for this first edition of the Eco-Digithon.
Also, visit the National Eco-Digithon is held, in the Award-Winning Projects section, where you will find the winning projects and can obtain more information about the ideas developed.
Do you have ideas for changing the world through vocational training?
The second edition of the Eco-Digithon will be held in 2026, and this time it will be open not only to ENNEPlus countries, but also to teams from other EU and non-EU countries.
Registration will open very soon.
Don’t miss out!
