The modern workforce requires a modern mindset. It is no longer sufficient to have only strong technical abilities and be an expert in a single subject matter. Every sector nowadays requires a workforce with strong interdisciplinary awareness and competence in a wide range of transferable professional skills such as leadership, effective teamwork, digital literacy, an entrepreneurial mentality, and other similar abilities.

IEEE Innovation Nation is a program designed to provide the opportunity to develop these skills in parallel to designing an innovative new product, service or program based on the Stanford University Design Thinking Model. 

During this 12-week program, young professionals will be formed into teams, and tasked with developing an innovative new product that aligns with a well-defined challenge and customer base. Every team will be assigned a dedicated mentor that will be a part of their team. Careful consideration will be given to the value proposition of the product as well as the overall innovativeness of the solution. A start-up business model will then be formed around this product/service/program taking into consideration the timeline of development and testing, intellectual property protection, financial considerations, marketing strategy and ethical evaluations of the product. This business model will then be tested and validated, with access given to expert business and development coaches and mentors.

The program will culminate with an investment pitch & innovation expo (sometimes referred to as Demo Day), where teams are given the opportunity to pitch their idea to a panel of investors. Investment at this level is known as seed funding. If successful, teams will receive seed funding to take their idea to the next stage beyond the program.

To add depth and relevance to the program, participants will be exposed to experts in the fields of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This will be through weekly guest lectures from a suite of incredible industry professionals, as well as regular access to instances of coaching and additional mentoring.

Undertaking this program is of immeasurable benefit to any person who wishes to take their career to the next level. 

By participating in Innovation Nation you will: meet new people, grow your personal and professional network, be exposed to new ways of thinking, work in multidisciplinary teams, exercise and develop your professional skills, design & develop a product/service/program that is yours to own and take to the market.

You can read a short description of all of the activities that constitute the program below. Activities that happen on a particular week are marked on the above schedule.

Workshops (W): Online interactive workshops with team based activities focused on a single topic in the program curriculum. When: on Saturdays at 10 AM, on weeks marked with W. Duration: 3 hours

Intensive Workshops (IW): Online intensive lectures that cover content on multiple topics. When: on Saturdays at 10 AM, on weeks marked with IW. Duration: 3 hours

Drop-in sessions (DS): Optional online sessions for teams that want to ask for more information, guidance, or help. When: on Saturdays at 10 AM or on Wednesdays at 6 PM, on weeks marked with DS. Duration: 2 hours

Industry Guest Lecture (L): An online webinar style talk delivered by industry professionals on a variety of topics. When: every Wednesday (or Monday if required), starting between 6 PM and 8 PM. You will be informed of the exact time each week. Duration: 1.5 hours

Pitch (P): A facilitated pitching competition where each team pitches their startup for a chance to win prizes. Happening on Saturdays at 10 AM, on weeks marked with P. Some pitches will be held live, you will be informed of the data and location in advance.

Face to Face: Live events held for a duration of  1-2 days. When: opening event and orientation session in March 2024 and final pitch. 

Continuous mentorship: Each team will be assigned a mentor after the fifth week of the program. The mentor will be a part of the team and is there to help guide them

Expert mentorship: After the fifth week, teams will have an opportunity to schedule short meetings with a variety of industry experts with years of professional experience in their fields. All teams are expected to schedule and attend 1 to 3 meetings with expert mentors each week.

1. Up to 50 scholarships for a renowned course each valued at 5,300 BAM

2. Education in a cutting-edge innovation program that will improve your ability to innovate, design and deliver solutions. The program will make you stand out when applying for jobs and help you grow professionally.

3. Access to local and global experts and growth of professional networks.

4. 10 x Industry expert lectures, 6 x workshops led by academics/industry professionals + program alumni, 2 x live events with paid accommodation and travel expenses, over 30 hours of mentoring from startup coaches.

5. A formal certificate of completion from IEEE, BH Futures Foundation & MIT Legatum Center USA awarded to all participants upon successful completion of the program.

6. A total of 10,000 BAM in cash prizes up for grabs for the best teams during the course.

7. Graduating as an “IEEE Innovation Nation Fellow” and getting recognized by the world’s largest professional organisation that has influence in over 180 countries of the world

8. Additional capital investment is available after the final event where angel investors & VC funds will assess teams based on maturity & potential of business ideas.

You are eligible to enter if you meet the following requirements at the time of entry:

Participants

We are looking for passionate students & young professionals who are committed to learning how to become an innovator and entrepreneur. While you may have a team in mind, you can apply as an individual. When applying as a team, all team members need to fill out individual applications and they will be reviewed separately. It could happen that not all team members are selected as program participants, so be sure to write a good application.

You will work in teams during the 12-week course. If you do not have a team, please do not worry. All program participants will be arranged into teams at the start of the program. If you already have a team of people you would like to work with, please let us know and we will try to fulfill your requests during team formation. Maximum team size will be 4 people. We strongly encourage interdisciplinarity.

Participant eligibility criteria:

1. Young adults (18 – 30 year old);

2. Bosnia and Herzegovina as the primary place of residence;

3. Available for at least a total of 10 hours per week to participate in the program;

4. Basic conversational knowledge of English language;

5. Access to a reliable internet connection and a personal computer, as well as a working web camera and headphones, as the vast majority of educational activities are online-based.

Participants are expected to:

• Attend all weekly workshops, coaching sessions, and engage with relevant program administrators. As the activities will be held on Saturday mornings, only medical certificates will be adequate excuses for missing some form of engagement and in this case your team must cover for you and bring you up to speed.

• Show initiative in organizing and attending coaching sessions.

• Complete assignments they receive by the assigned deadlines.

• Take on the sole responsibility for the cooperation and teamwork within their team. 

• In no event will IEEE IN organizers officiate in any dispute regarding the conduct or cooperation of any Team or its members.

During the program:

• The organizers will be ejecting individuals/teams who are not actively participating in order to ensure that professional staff and startup coaches are not being unnecessarily burdened.

• All participants will be given access to our Futures e-Academy, as such you must adhere to the platform usage policy. Any breaches result in direct program expulsion.

• The following will not be tolerated in any form:

  •  Interruptions and disruptions to teaching staff;

  •  Discrimination on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, religion, sex etc.;

  •  Cheating or unethical behavior;

  •  Bullying, intimidation or verbal assaults

• All participants must adhere to the values of organizing partners

We will not accept any entries that may contain any inappropriate, offensive or illegal content.

“The Innovation Nation program has connected me to other young people in our country who are seeking knowledge, experience and have innovative ideas. It has also introduced me to so many successful Bosnian entrepreneurs who are located all over the world. Knowledge and information are best ways to empower the youth of our country and prevent the braindrain. I am incredibly proud to have taken part in this program and look forward to developing my craft and ideas alongside my colleagues. BH Futures Foundation is a true change-maker in our society and has empowered so many to set high goals to build innovative products right here in our country. Thank you and please keep up the great work.“ - E.H.

“If I need to describe this program in one word it would be 'challenging'. This is definitely meant for those who love to challenge themselves. It takes hard work and dedication to be able to complete the program but the experience and knowledge you come out with is unmeasurable. It definitely wasn't easy and you should really know how to organize your time. Definitely apply but be sure you are ready for it. Be aware of the opportunity you are given!“ - A.M

“I loved Innovation Nation. It introduced me to amazing and enthusiastic people, which I'm very glad to keep in touch in the future. Mentoring was my favourite part, since we got the opportunity to talk to true experts in their field. IN also reminded me that there is so much power and willingness to learn and make things better in B&H youth.“ - N.Z.

“It's like a perfect simulator for creating your own start-up. You learn so much that by the end, even if you don't win anything, you value the chance of experiencing it all. You feel like a winner anyway because you now know where to improve and you value that knowledge above any kind of financial reward.“ - E.Dž.

“Right now there's a lot of negativity in the media, which is why we need constant reminders of what we can do united by common goals and mutual benefit. There's a real poverty mindset among our disillusioned youth, which is why it is so important that we gather a learning hub where we can all share accomplishments, questions, answers, success stories, dreams.. all related to entrepreneurship and innovation. Luckily, such a place exists as the Innovation Nation Bosnia and Herzegovina program. It's where I grew the confidence to one day have my own startup, to truly own my hard work and its rewards, to be inspired by others and thankful for them, and most of all: the conscientiousness to help my community. I think the most positive impact on me are the very others that so selflessly gave their time, attention, efforts, and financial resources. I think a big addition to everyone's character is to go where you can witness people helping people and working together towards the same goal. Oh, and you get to learn about starting your own business some day, while doing it all hands-on, just like an authentic startup experience.“ - HV

“IEEE IN helped me understand why innovations are needed in our country, and the lenghts people go to, to achieve greatness. For anyone who wants to take that extra step forward in their business life, this program is for them.“ - E.S.

“IEEE IN is such a unique experience. It is not at all an easy journey, but it is definitely a worthwhile journey. Once you graduate as a Fellow, you will feel the special bond shared between all the present and past fellows, because we go through this together and in the end, we celebrate together. Don't miss a chance to develop your entrepreneurial mindset because this program has everything you might need!“ - T.H.

IEEE

IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community to innovate for a better tomorrow through its more than 400,000 members in over 160 countries, and its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. IEEE is the trusted “voice” for engineering, computing, and technology information around the globe.

BHFF

The Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation (BHFF) was established in 2015 with a vision to transform the lives of talented youth and break down ethnic barriers in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the power of technology and education. BHFF is a non-profit organisation with staff and volunteers in dozens of countries around the world. They share a common goal of providing education and technology access to students currently studying or commencing undergraduate studies in any field of engineering, manufacturing, computer sciences or information technology.

MIT Legatum Center

The Legatum Center is a global community based at MIT, drawing on the Institute’s talent, networks, presence, and expertise to inspire and equip those who want to move their ideas toward scalable impact. They build inclusive pathways within MIT and also between MIT and emerging market ecosystems. These not only support entrepreneurs on the ground, they also fuel research and thought leadership. 

GIST

The U.S. Department of State’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) initiative empowers young innovators through networking, skills building, mentoring, and access to financing to develop startup solutions that address economic and development challenges.

ZenDev

ZenDev is a BIH & Sweden IT company with more than 50 successfully implemented projects and over 60  passionate developers, dedicated engineers, and creative designers.

Mozaik startup studio

Mozaik startup studio’s uniqueness is reflected in the services and financial mechanisms aimed at supporting startups based on technologies that support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

387labs

387labs is creating economic and technological opportunities using Artificial Intelligence. Their clients include premium Future 500 companies including the one valued in trillions, start-ups in process automation field, hedge funds, and consumer goods conglomerates.

SETEC

SETEC is a software engineering company specialising in cybersecurity, training and certification.