At the premises of SOU “Kosta Susinov” in Radovish, on 18 February 2026, the equipment for “Smart-Lab” was officially handed over and put into operation – a modern STEM laboratory equipped with robotics, electronics and 3D modeling technology, designed for practical, project-based and interdisciplinary learning.
“Smart-Lab” stems from the winning idea of the student team GenLab, developed within the “High School Hackathon” – a joint initiative of SOU “Kosta Susinov” and Bucim, aimed at fostering innovation, technical education and youth development in the local community.
The Hackathon was first organized in 2024, and at its second edition, held in December 2025, 10 student teams participated – twice as many as in the first year. This growth clearly reflects the increasing interest in and trust toward the initiative.
The “High School Hackathon” is not merely a competition, but a development platform through which young people identify real challenges, develop sustainable and practical solutions, and acquire hands-on technical and digital skills. What distinguishes this initiative is the fact that ideas do not remain on paper – they are implemented in practice, creating long-term value for the school and the wider community.
This partnership represents a strong example of how a company can contribute to long-term local development – through tangible investments in knowledge, skills and opportunities.
“As a company, we believe that sustainable development begins with investing in young people and their education. We created the ‘High School Hackathon’ as a space where students can think innovatively and develop solutions with real value. The fact that interest has doubled in just two years, and that ideas are being transformed into concrete projects such as ‘Smart-Lab’, confirms that we are investing in the right direction – in knowledge, development and the future of the community,” stated Kristina Krsteva, Sustainability Director at Bucim.
The Director of SOU “Kosta Susinov,” Mile Arsov, emphasized:
“This is an example of how education and industry can jointly create value for young people and the community. With the establishment of ‘Smart-Lab’, our school gains a modern educational resource that enables the practical application of knowledge, the development of technical and digital competencies, and the encouragement of innovative thinking among students. It is particularly significant that this laboratory originates from a student idea – further strengthening young people’s motivation to explore, create and believe that their solutions can become reality.”
Through initiatives like this, Bucim not only supports educational projects but systematically builds partnerships that help create generations of young people prepared to explore, innovate and actively contribute to the sustainable development of the community.
