More than 80 young people from Edineț district and Cahul city teamed up to transform ideas about the circular economy, sustainable agriculture, and resource efficiency into real solutions with an environmental impact during the “Youth-Driven Green Innovation” hackathons organized by UNDP Moldova and funded by the European Union through the project “Enabling an inclusive green transition in the Republic of Moldova.”

The events took place in the town of Cupcini, Edineț district, on 16-17 May and in the city of Cahul on 4-5 April. A similar event was held in March in Chișinău

For 48 hours, 20 teams of enthusiastic young people from the two regions worked intensively, guided by experts and mentors. Participants had the opportunity to work in teams, receive mentoring from experts, develop a concrete solution and present it to a multidisciplinary jury.

In Cahul, the winning solutions were:

• waste management using artificial intelligence, which enables intelligent waste recognition directly at the source, without the need for an internet connection;
• reducing financial losses and food waste by supporting businesses in making data-driven decisions through a platform that replaces intuitive processes with precise and relevant analyses;
• producing container-grown seedlings with protected roots from valuable species (oak, black pine, Sophora japonica, Evodia daniellii) using an innovative production method. This ensures high yield per square meter, flexibility in planting, and a survival rate of over 90% for forest seedlings.

“We are very pleased that, over the course of the two-day hackathon, we managed to develop a working prototype of our solution. AI systems are often expensive and resource-intensive, but we tried to find a more affordable, efficient, and practical solution. It was a very valuable experience for our team, and we will certainly continue to develop this idea,” said Nichita Grădinar of Proton Team, a participant in the hackathon in Cahul.

In Edineț, the following solutions were selected: 

• a mushroom farm where residual mycelium is reused. The mycelium is transformed into biodegradable containers for planting seedlings and saplings. The containers decompose within 30 days directly in the soil, nourishing the plants’ roots. The solution replaces plastic and utilizes agricultural waste;
• the conversion of animal waste into natural fertilizer through controlled composting. This circular economy system reduces pollution and restores soil fertility;
• the monitoring of inventory and product shelf-life data using AI tools. The goal is to reduce food waste by up to 50% and create social value.

“For us, this was our first time participating in a hackathon and it was a very valuable opportunity. In a short period, we researched and developed the idea from scratch and along the way we learned a lot about the circular economy and the green transition. The mentors’ support helped us move in the right direction, and now we are seriously considering the practical steps for implementing our solution,” said Mihail Gurămultă of the EcoMush team, Center of Excellence in Horticulture and Agricultural Technologies in Țaul.

The “Youth-Driven Green Innovation” hackathons served as a space for learning and collaboration, where young people developed their teamwork skills, critical thinking, and the ability to design sustainable business models.

“The green transition isn’t just about policies, but also about bold ideas turned into concrete solutions for the economy and the environment. By organizing hackathons in the center, south, and north of the country, we are creating an ecosystem where startups can grow, experiment, and truly meet market needs, actively contributing to a more sustainable economy,” said Virginia Bîlici, Project Manager at UNDP Moldova.

Participants will continue to receive dedicated support for developing their ideas and will take part in a pre-acceleration programme for innovation in the field of green transition, designed to transform concepts into applicable and scalable solutions.