TALLINN, I-DAYS 2025
For people-centred and inclusive healthcare – from prevention to treatment
What to expect?
Calling all aspiring innovators and creative thinkers passionate about health and biotechnology! Take part in our two-day hackathon and put your problem-solving and teamwork skills to the test!
💡Do you have a challenge idea related to health or biotechnology? If you’re a company or organisation facing a problem in these areas, we want to hear from you! Submit your challenge for the hackathon siin.
🌍Join the 8th edition of the i-Days hackathon – an international hackathon experience!
From 24-25 October, i-Days, an international student hackathon, will take place for the 8th time! This time, the hackathon will take place in partnership with TalTech, Tehnopol, Tartu Applied Health Sciences University, Tallinn Health Care College, and Nucleate Baltics. During the hackathon, teams of 3-6 spend two days guided by experts to develop and validate solutions to real-life health and biotechnology challenges.
You may come up with an idea and a pre-formed team, but you may also just bring your passion to learn and join one of the teams on site!
Participants are introduced to practical innovation tools, including design thinking and pitch training.
🏆Compete for a spot on the European stage
The winning team of i-Days will attend the Winners’ Event, a final competition that unites students from around Europe. I-Days 2025 Winners’ Event – EIT Health Career Path: From Students to Innovators, will take place on 27–28 November 2025 in Paris(the prize will cover the travel and accommodation costs for up to 4 team members).
💡What would you gain from attending the event?
🚀New skills to create solutions to real-life challenges
🚀Network of like-minded people
🚀i-Days certificate that will be a great addition to your CV
🚀Prizes from EIT Health and other partners
🚀 The winning team will get a chance to represent Estonia at the European finals in Paris, France, on 27-28 November.
🎓 Who Should Apply?
i-Days hackathon is accessible to all undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as healthcare workers with an interest in healthcare and biotech innovation. You do not need prerequisite skills or prior experience in innovation, entrepreneurship or healthcare. There are no academic requirements, and students from all disciplines and departments are welcome to join!
PROGRAM
Day 1 | 24 October
| Toimumisaeg | Activity |
|---|---|
| 13:30–14:30 | Arrival & Networking Over Lunch
|
| 14:30–14:50 | Welcome & Opening Remarks
|
| 14:50–15:00 | Spotlight on EIT Health – Sven PARKEL, EIT Community Officer in Estonia
|
| 15:00–15:20 | Keynote Speaker / Inspiration Session – Kadri HALJAS, Mental Health Innovator
|
| 15:20–16:00 | Challenge Presentation
|
| 16:00–16:30 | Team Formation & Icebreaker
|
| 16:30–18:00 | Design Thinking Bootcamp Part I – Mayri Tiido, Freelance Trainer (Training • Public Speaking • Business Consulting)
|
| 18:00–18:30 | Dinner |
| 18:30–19:30 | Mentor Consultations: Mentor Speed-Dating
|
| 19:30–22:00 | Brainstorming & Ideation Session
|
Day 2 | 25 October
| Toimumisaeg | Activity |
|---|---|
| 08:30–09:00 | Fuel Up with Morning Coffee
|
| 09:00–09:10 | Day 1 Recap & What’s Ahead
|
| 09:10–09:30 | Morning sync & idea boost |
| 09:30–11:00 | Design Thinking Bootcamp Part II – Mayri Tiido, Freelance Trainer (Training • Public Speaking • Business Consulting)
|
| 11:00–12:30 | Mentor Rounds & Teamwork
|
| 12:30–13:00 | Fuel Up with Lunch
|
| 13:00–14:30 | Pitching Workshop – Dan (le Man) Renwick, Pitch Coach | Performer | Entrepreneur
|
| 14:30–16:30 | Final Sprint: Teamwork & Mentor Check-ins
|
| 16:30–17:30 | Pitch & Win!
|
| 17:30–18:00 | Cake & decision time! |
| 18:00–18:30 | Prizes |
FACILITATORS
Helen MINAŘÍK (MODERATOR) is an award-winning product designer with 20 years of experience in the UI/UX Industry & Service Design, a design mentor and an entrepreneur. For over 20 years, she has been deeply involved in the design industry, working across roles as a graphic designer and UI/UX specialist. Her passion for visual design began in childhood, where she spent countless hours sketching, illustrating, and experimenting with creativity. That early fascination, paired with an enduring sense of curiosity, naturally evolved into a lifelong career in design. After earning a formal education in graphic design, she entered the field during the height of the technology boom. Immersing herself in Estonia’s startup scene, she noticed a critical gap—UI and UX were rarely being discussed. Recognising its importance, she became an early advocate and flagbearer for UI/UX design in Estonia. Over the years, her work has been recognised with numerous awards across both public and private sectors. A career highlight was her collaboration with Google to build a UI/UX ecosystem in Kampala, Uganda. Beyond her professional projects, she has also dedicated herself to mentorship, guiding startups across more than 60 countries worldwide.
Kadri HALJAS (KEYNOTE SPEAKER) is an award-winning mental health innovator whose pioneering work has transformed how children around the world access psychological support – using technology to make mental health management engaging, evidence-based and universally accessible. She’ll share her journey and discuss what it takes to follow her footsteps. 
Mayri TIIDO (DESIGN THINKING COACH) is an adult educator with 12 years of experience and an entrepreneur. Daily, she promotes the circular economy in Estonia through trainings, awareness raising and consultations. She is a certified trainer of the circular design method CIRCO in Estonia and completed a training on Circular Business Model Innovations at the University of Cambridge. She is a guest lecturer at the University of Tartu Pärnu College on sustainability and the circular economy for design thinking students.
Dan (le Man) RENWICK (PITCHING COACH/JURY MEMBER) is a seasoned artist, host, pitch coach, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in performing arts, arts administration, and business.Combining performance artistry with startup-savvy, Dan helps pitches become clear, concise, charismatic, and authentically compelling. He’s coached countless founders and creatives across Europe and beyond, working with organisations like StartUp Wise Guys, Tehnopol, NATO Diana, EU Cybersecurity… and he’s bringing that same energy, expertise, and artistry to guide your pitches on 25th October.
Merit Vislapu (JURY MEMBER) is currently serving as the Project Lead at Health Founders Estonia and the Project Manager in EstVCA. She has 10 years of experience in the Estonian startup sector, working with high-impact, startup-focused organisations, venture capital funds, and non-profit organisations. From the Baltics and Nordics to the CEE region and Western Europe, Merit has supported the birth of new entrepreneurs and startup ideas, the growth of early-stage startups, and the building of strong communities around events and organisations.
Evelin MUTLI (JURY MEMBER) is the Head of HealthTech at Thorgate. She helps health and biotech startups and SMEs from Estonia and abroad develop user-friendly and meaningful digital solutions that create real value for end users. Evelin holds a master’s degree in biomedical sciences and has extensive experience in product development, strategic business development, and leading health technology projects from concept to implementation.
Dr Terje PEETSO (JURY MEMBER) is a Chief Medical Innovation Officer at the North Estonia Medical Centre in Tallinn. Among other tasks, she is also responsible for the coordination of cooperation with other hospitals, clinical partners and International organisations. Dr Peetso worked from 2003 – 2018 in the European Commission on public health, before joining the North Estonia Medical Centre. She was the Head of Sector on eHealth and Ageing Policy in the European Commission`s DG CONNECT. In 2014, she was the European Commission Fellow at the University of Southern California, USA, where her research focus was on the obstacles which hinder the introduction of eHealth in healthcare systems. Dr Peetso holds a diploma in medicine from the University of Tartu, Estonia. 
Elli VALLA (MENTOR/JURY MEMBER) holds a PhD in Computer Science and works as a researcher at the Centre for Digital Health, Department of Health Technologies, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech). Her work lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare, focusing on developing machine learning and smart device–based solutions for rehabilitation. She is also involved in advancing generative AI applications in healthcare to improve clinical practice, documentation, and patient communication. Elli’s background includes entrepreneurial experience as a former managing partner at Sellit Sales Company and several startups, where she gained expertise in leadership, team development, and innovation management.
Janne PULLAT (MENTOR/JURY MEMBER) is the Head of the Health Data Division at the Applied Research Centre of AS Metrosert. She leads initiatives that support the secondary use of health data, the application of artificial intelligence, and the validation of science-based health technologies. Her work focuses on developing secure, transparent, and interoperable data environments that foster innovation in line with the principles of the European Health Data Space (EHDS). With over twenty years of experience in biomedical research, public health, and data analysis, she previously held senior positions in the public sector related to the development of health data and laboratory diagnostics, contributing to the advancement of evidence-based healthcare and international collaboration. At Metrosert, she leads the development of a trusted data and validation environment for digital health and AI solution developers, integrating regulatory, scientific, and economic perspectives to accelerate innovation in healthcare.
Loora SALURAND (MENTOR) is a HealthTech Project Manager at Tehnopol, where she leads innovative digital health initiatives and supports startups in developing impactful healthcare solutions. With a background in pharmacy and a master’s programme in Digital Health at TalTech, she bridges clinical understanding with technology-driven innovation. Passionate about turning ideas into real-world impact, Loora mentors emerging teams on how to validate concepts, build sustainable business models, and navigate the health innovation ecosystem.
Doris KALJUSTE (MENTOR) earned her master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from TalTech, after which she joined the East-Tallinn Central Hospital’s Medical Equipment Department as a project manager for an international integrated telecare initiative called SmartCare. Since 2016, she has been working at the TalTech Centre for Digital Health, focusing on the implementation of various international projects in health technologies, analytics, and prevention. She has also conducted impact assessments for three telemedicine services funded by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund.From 2020 to 2021, Doris provided local support to the International Foundation for Integrated Care in the project “Supporting Integrated Service Provision Reform in Estonia”. Since 2023, she has served as the Programme Director for TalTech’s Digital Health master’s programme and has been the lead lecturer for the Semester Project course, where student teams develop innovative ideas further to be ready for participation in international student competitions.
Riina HALLIK (MENTOR) is a dedicated healthcare enthusiast whose focus is currently on analysing work processes, evaluating digital health solutions and adapting patient-reported outcome instruments and experience measures. Riina’s passion is to combine a scientific approach and innovation in digital health. Especially in the mental health field. She has had a 12+ year career in national and international research projects, the development of several digital health SMEs and mentoring start-ups. She is a recognised lecturer, member of the Health Development Institute (TAI) ethics committee, master’s thesis supervisor, as well as an international expert in the development of a digital medical device evaluation framework for Europe.
Ali GHASEMPOUR (MENTOR) is a cybersecurity expert with over a decade of experience in various industries. He holds a joint master’s degree in cybersecurity from Tallinn University of Technology and Tartu University, along with another master’s from Universiti Putra Malaysia. At TalTech, Ali lectures on cybersecurity and logging and monitoring, bringing practical expertise as a system administrator. Recognised by the IEEE Computer Society as one of the top 20 engineers under 30, he is also the CEO and co-founder of CyberWiseSpace, an Estonian company that protects businesses from cyber threats and ensures privacy compliance.
Olga VOVK (MENTOR) acquired her Bachelor’s degree in Law and Master’s degree in Digital Health. She is currently an Early Stage Researcher at TalTech doing her PhD. Olga has a decade of professional experience, including managing IT and Tech projects. She is experienced in managing IT projects, including project planning, budgeting, engaging the team, and carrying out the project. She has successfully managed teams of 15+ people with a budget of over 1 mln euros. Olga was also a mentor in the Tehnopol HealthTech community and is the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of a start-up called CyberWiseSpace. CyberWiseSpace is an Estonian startup that can help businesses from cyberattacks and achieve compliance with privacy regulations.
Michael ANYWAR (MENTOR) is a Digital Health Consultant, technologist, and researcher with deep expertise in interoperable health information systems. He currently serves as a Senior Consultant at EY’s Digital Health Excellence Centre in Hamburg and is pursuing a PhD in Healthcare Technologies at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech). Michael is also an alumnus of the Digital Health Master’s programme at TalTech. He is the founder of Alpamax OÜ, where he has led open-source health IT projects which are focused on openEHR, HL7 FHIR, and clinical decision support. His work bridges innovation across Europe and East Africa, advancing digital health infrastructure and data standardisation.
Karl ÕKVA (MENTOR) is a Managing Partner at Thorgate Digital, a digital product development company helping organisations in Health-tech, forestry, and industry create innovative software solutions. With over a decade of experience in digital strategy, product development, and investments, Karl has led cross-sector projects that bridge technology, design, and business. He has advised several healthtech startups, helping early-stage teams turn ideas into market-ready products.
Henek TOMSON (MENTOR) is the Head of Research at the Estonian Competence Centre for Physical Activity. Henek leads national and EU‑funded research on physical activity, health promotion and behavioural change. Henek holds two master’s degrees: an MSc in Molecular Biochemistry and Ecology from Tallinn University, specialising in molecular genetics and informatics with a thesis on the genetic risk factors of early‑onset Parkinson’s disease. An MSc in Physical Activity and Health from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), focused on movement science and exercise physiology. Henek is actively involved in national research initiatives. One project aims to develop and pilot a science‑based exercise prescription service for Estonia: it will design a service model based on international practice, test it, and develop a feasibility and integration plan. Another is the “Evidence‑based intervention programme supporting the physical activity and agency of secondary school students,” a collaborative R&D project led by the University of Tartu and Tallinn University and funded by the Estonian Research Council.
Kertu TORT (MENTOR) is the Head of Innovation at the Estonian Competence Centre for Physical Activity. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Design (Jewellery Art) from the Estonian Academy of Arts and a master’s degree in Education (Art Education) from Tallinn University and the Estonian Academy of Arts. With several years of experience in both formal and non-formal education, including her work as an art teacher and as a Chief Expert in General Education in arts, physical activity and technology at the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, she has developed a strong ability to find creative solutions in complex contexts. At the Competence Centre, she works with implementation and analysis of pilot projects, advises partner organisations, expands cooperation networks, and contributes to the national cross-ministerial Physical Activity Action Plan. She is passionate about working with people, supporting diverse teams, and leading change.
Sven PARKEL (MENTOR) is the CEO of Tartu Biotechnology Park. Sven supports the growth of companies in the health technology, biotechnology, and other related sectors by providing support through EU-funded projects and incubation programs.In addition, Sven serves as the Community Officer for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) community in Estonia. In this role, he connects Estonian companies, research institutions, and public sector partners with international opportunities across EIT’s thematic areas — including health, food, climate, digital technologies, and energy — to foster collaboration, attract new projects to Estonia, and strengthen the overall innovation ecosystem.
Sven also acts as the Secretary General of the ScanBalt innovation network, promoting the development of the health technology ecosystem in the Baltic Sea region.
Community partners & supporters
