After two months of intensive training within the IT Bootcamp program for future Junior Developers – part of the INNO2MARE project funded by the Horizon Europe programme – participants have completed a demanding and comprehensive curriculum that introduced them to the world of programming and software development.
The focus was on areas such as Python programming, data structures and algorithms, databases, object-oriented programming, and the basics of web development, including technologies like React and Flask.
In parallel with the technical content, participants also received business skills training, led by the team from Step Ri Science and Technology Park at the University of Rijeka. Over the course of five sessions, Bootcamp participants learned how to develop and shape business ideas, how to present technological solutions to potential users and investors, and what methods to use when generating and evaluating new ideas.
Throughout the training, in a relaxed and informal pop-up format, several successful companies such as AlphaWave, Lloyds Digital, Infobip, Glis Glis, Elixirr Digital, RIS Software, Login, and CyberArrange presented themselves to the aspiring Junior Developers. These meetings offered valuable insights into the real-world challenges and opportunities that await them in the industry, as well as networking opportunities.
The final phase of the program, lasting one month, is dedicated to team projects designed and proposed by the already mentioned IT companies. Last week, teams were formed and project assignments selected, which they will be working on over the next month. These projects will be presented to potential future employers on Demo Day, taking place on July 11th. Each team is working on a real-world problem, supported by mentors and industry representatives.
One team, collaborating with RIS Software, is developing AzilApp, an application for the digital management of animal shelters, aimed at improving daily processes and record keeping. With the mentorship of Login, another team is working on a solution to digitize the golf resort reservation system, which will modernize the management of services and bookings. A third team, in collaboration with CyberArrange, is creating a web application for visual modeling of IT systems.
The companies that proposed these projects offered concrete tasks based on real needs from their own operations, giving participants the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working on real projects with support from industry experts. This final phase of the IT Bootcamp is an ideal opportunity for participants to apply everything they have learned so far through teamwork, building real products, and direct collaboration with the industry.
On June 17, the first meetings between the teams and mentors from IT companies took place. During these sessions, the teams had the opportunity to ask specific questions about their projects, receive additional guidance, and get support for their next steps.
The IT Bootcamp program is implemented as part of the INNO2MARE project, funded by the Horizon Europeprogramme. Its goal is to strengthen the ecosystem of Western Slovenia and Adriatic Croatia for excellence in research and innovation through a series of jointly developed activities focused on the digital and green transition of maritime industries.
