Innovation in Motion – 5th International MERIThON at VILNIUS TECH 

On the 1st-3rd of October 2025, the fifth edition of the MERIThON sprint-style innovation challenge took place at VILNIUS TECH in Vilnius.  

This event, organised under the umbrella of the Digital Europe MERIT project (which advances advanced digital skills in Europe – AI, Internet of Things, cybersecurity), offered participants a rich opportunity to collaborate, ideate and craft commercially-viable solutions to real-world challenges posed by industry and society. 

MERIThON results

Over the three days, multidisciplinary teams of students, researchers and practitioners came together to tackle pressing digital-innovation themes. The event venue at VILNIUS TECH provided a vibrant, collaborative space where the energy of rapid prototyping met the ambition of scalable business ideas. 

On the last evening, 9 pitches were presented. 6 teams presented their concepts, refined them via mentorship and feedback from industry partners, and concluded with final presentations. 3 more pitches presented the developed solutions and achieved results for the technical challenge.  

The atmosphere was dynamic: enthusiastic ideation, sharp challenge-statements from companies, and tangible pathways toward next-steps beyond the hackathon-format. 

Path to sustained venture

What makes this 5th edition noteworthy is not only the number (fifth) but the maturity of the ecosystem. VILNIUS TECH has now hosted multiple MERIThON editions, giving rise to real-world spin-offs and commercial ventures. For example, during the first two MERIThONs at VILNIUS TECH we had one team in each who continued after the event and are already selling services or seeking funding.  

Hence, we believe that some of the winners of this year’s MERIThON are similarly poised for the next leap: commercialising their idea. The hackathon format becomes a springboard, not just a one-off event but the start of a trajectory toward impact, revenue and real industrial uptake. 

Collaboration and ecosystem-building 

A key theme of this edition was collaboration. The MERIThON brought together well-known partners from the academic, research and industry worlds, and welcomed new ones who joined to share insights and explore future cooperation. 

As the MERIT project seeks, the MERIThONs should engage participants to solve relevant industry and society problems by proposing new AI-based solutions. At this 5th edition, collaboration took concrete form: partnerships were renewed, new link-ups were established and agreements on further collaboration were signed. This means that more than just ideation, the event lays the groundwork for long-term research-industry-start-up ecosystems. In practical terms, this translates into: 

• Industry partners committing to pilot or test selected ideas. 

• Academia offering follow-on mentorship, incubation or applied research support. 

• Start-ups or spin-outs gaining referral to funding, investment or commercial-partner networks. 

• Cross-disciplinary teams being encouraged to continue working beyond the hackathon into incubation or accelerator programmes. 

Looking ahead 

The success of the 5th MERIThON at VILNIUS TECH signals that the hackathon format is increasingly becoming a launchpad for real entrepreneurial and industrial results. For teams entering this year’s event, the message is clear: ideate, build, pitch – then stay with it. The path from prototype to product to market is open, and the ecosystem around you (academia, industry, partners) is increasingly mature. 

If you were one of the participants or a partner, we are happy to have you in our community. If you are just thinking how to step up and join the AI creator’s community – do not wait and join us. The next MERIThON at VILNIUS TECH will take place in September 2026. Meanwhile, waiting for it, the MERIT project will offer you industry engagement workshops, short-term courses for upskilling or reskilling, master study programs, to go deeper gaining the advanced digital skills and building confidence in its application. 

Final words 

The 5th International MERIThON in Vilnius was more than just a three-day sprint. It was a convergence of ideas, people and purpose, set in an ecosystem that’s steadily evolving toward impact. With multiple editions behind us (and success stories emerging from earlier ones at VILNIUS TECH), the event continues to demonstrate that innovation + collaboration = commercialisation. 

For the organisers, partners and participants alike, the message is: let’s keep the momentum going. The next step is yours. 

For more information on the event and updates, visit this page.