Celebrating Innovation in Sustainability: Highlights from the student competition “Bioeconomy Through Art”

On December 5, 2024, the “Bioeconomy Through Art” competition, organized by SDEWES-Skopje under the Horizon Europe SCALE-UP project, brought sustainability to life through the creativity of Dimitar Vlahov High School students in Strumica.

With 90 participants, 50+ students, and 25 teacher mentors in 20 teams, the event showcased ground-breaking ideas like:

• Wine stoppers from grapevine bio-waste
• Sustainable cosmetics: from eyeliner to flowers
• Recycling and upcycling projects
• Nettle-based organic farming
• Textile innovations: waste transformed into art
• Natural colors, eco-friendly soap, and kombucha leather

Winning teams were evaluated for innovation, feasibility, sustainability, and community impact by a distinguished jury.
The event also featured a guest presentation by a young entrepreneur from Skopje, highlighting bio-based cosmetics marketed through digital platforms—a prime example of combining sustainability with entrepreneurship.
This inspiring event was supported by the Dimitar Vlahov school, local teachers, and the Municipality of Strumica. It was covered by two national TV outlets, which conducted interviews to highlight the importance of youth-driven innovation in tackling global challenges.