Dear innovators, practitioners, conceptual thinkers, entrepreneurs, creative individuals from all backgrounds, start-ups, research organizations, and businesses working on innovative and accessible transportation solutions, the DANOVA project team is happy to announce that the Call for Ideas is now OPEN!

Interreg project “DANOVA: Innovative transportation services for blind and partially sighted passengers in the Danube Region” is a transnational cooperation project co-funded by ERDF, IPA, and ENI (European Union funds). DANOVA aims to improve the accessibility of airports, seaports, and train/bus stations by developing a set of new services and competencies that will allow visually impaired passengers to have full access to all transportation information and services. Therefore, the partnership is asking YOU to bring additional knowledge on solutions that can make transportation facilities more accessible to blind and partially sighted persons.

With this call, you have the opportunity to present your idea to international stake - and shareholders in the field of transportation and to organizations representing blind and partially sighted people. The winner gets to present the idea at the final project conference in Vienna, and be a part of the official project publication summarizing the selected ideas! Furthermore, you could benefit from establishing contacts with the stake- and shareholders, and getting feedback about your idea. And that’s not all: we will recognize and reward first winner’s efforts with the prize of 10.000 EUR (gross amount tax included, if any)!

The Call for innovative ideas for accessibility of transportation facilities for blind and partially sighted people will be open for submission on this form – from the 1st of September to the 30th of November 2021. Q&A period will be held until 25th of November 2021, 1st review in mid-December 2021, and the decision and announcement of the winner on the 31th of January 2022. Check with the project partner from your country in case you need help with the form translation.

We accept idea proposals in two different categories:

1. Modifications of the built environment: conversion or adaptation of a specific environment in a way to make it more accessible to blind and partially sighted; they include changes or additions, like technical equipment that is installed to a built structure;
2. Assistive technology: items designed specifically to help people with vision impairment with transportation and mobility infrastructure.

Criteria for selection and evaluation

The proposals must address the issue of safe and independent mobility for blind and partially sighted passengers. Proposals will be evaluated by an international interdisciplinary jury consisting of representatives of the partner organizations and invited experts. The subject of the evaluation will be the quality of the idea and its direct reference to the transnational concept of a fully accessible airport/seaport/railway, tram, and bus stations to blind and partially sighted passengers.

The specific evaluation criteria are:

• direct link to transportation
• existence of infrastructure for the idea to be based upon
• entry-level skills needed for the usage of the solution
• added value in comparison to existing solutions
• time for implementation
• budget and operational expenses

TThe final decision on the outcomes of the Call for Ideas will be publicly announced in January 2022 on the website of the Interreg Danube Transnational program. Please direct any related questions to the partner in your country via email by the 25th of November 2021. The partner list and contact information is in the table below the call.

Stay tuned for more information about the Open Innovation Call by following the DANOVA project on the official web and social media platforms: this DTP page, Facebook and Instagram.   

We are looking forward to your participation!

DANOVA project team

State / Responsible project partner / Contact person / E-mail

Croatia / Croatian Blind Union / Bruno Tot / bruno.tot@savez-slijepih.hr

Moldova / Technical University of Moldova / Alina Ostapov / alina.ostapov@arh.utm.md

Hungary / Centre for Budapest Transport / Timea Csikós / timea.csikos@bkk.hu 

Slovenia / University of Maribor / Katja Hanžić / katja.hanzic@um.si

Bulgaria / BATTI / Kostadin Savov / battinnovation@gmail.com

Austria / Austrian Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted / Maylin Kretzschmar / international@blindenverband.at

Slovakia / Žilina Airport / Ronald Wilczek / opu@airport.sk

Montenegro / Port of Kotor / Maja Danilovic / majadanilovicko@gmail.com

Bosnia and Herzegovina / Sarajevo International Airport / Berin Riđanović / bridjanovic@sarajevo-airport.ba

Czech Republic / DEX Innovation Centre / Vojtěch Jíra / vojtech.jira@dex-ic.com