At the Smart Arena of Samsung Electronics in Milan, on the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Dayinnovation has transformed into a concrete laboratory of social inclusion. Two days, 21 and 22 May, dedicated to young people, technology and sport, saw students from all over Italy as protagonists as part of the first Italian Hackathon of “Solve for Tomorrow”the global Corporate Citizenship project with which Samsung accompanies secondary schools in the development of ideas capable of generating a positive impact on society.
The initiative involved five Italian schools selected for the 2025/2026 edition of the program, called to transform their intuitions into concrete prototypes linked to the themes of accessibility and inclusion. In the race were the Galileo Galilei Scientific High School in Pescara with the “Syncrofit” project, the V. Imbriani high school in Pomigliano d’Arco with “Shape Shifter”, the IIS Benedetti-Tommaseo of Venice with “ActiveBalance”, the A. Manzoni Civic Linguistic High School in Milan with “SocialBuddy” and the Sant’Apollinare Scientific High School in Rome with “Motion Help”.
During the first day the students participated in design workshops and moments of discussion together with entities involved in social issues and inclusive sport such as TOG Foundation and Azzurrini Academy, bringing concrete experiences on the topic of accessibility and rehabilitation.
The winning project dedicated to adolescents with diabetes
The victory was won by the team from the IIS Benedetti-Tommaseo of Venice, made up of students Vittoria Talon and Pierluigi Fioretti, led by the teacher Cosima Bonivento. Their project, “Active Balance”addresses a delicate and current topic: the support of adolescent athletes with type 1 diabetes through an innovative platform for monitoring metabolic performance.
The idea was born from the desire to make sports practice safer and more inclusive for children who live with a chronic pathology on a daily basis. A concrete example of how technology can become a tool for autonomy, participation and quality of life.
The final took place in front of a jury made up of representatives from the institutional, sporting and third sector worlds. The senator and paralympic athlete closed the event Giusy Versace, for years committed to the promotion of rights and social inclusion: «Accessibility is not just about the possibility of accessing tools or spaces, but the concrete possibility of fully participating in social, educational and professional life», she declared, «seeing girls and boys putting technology at the service of inclusion through concrete projects represents an important and necessary signal».
Gianluca Zambrotta during surgery
Professor Bonivento’s satisfaction
Great emotion also in the words of the Venetian teacher Cosima Bonivento, who accompanied the students throughout the entire process and underlined above all the educational value of the experience: «They compared themselves with students who were equally good, prepared and competitive and they met amazing speakers and coaches who inspired and guided them to make the prototype even better. When we were the winners we felt great emotion and satisfaction and at first we were in disbelief, but thanks to everyone’s words and compliments we are aware that we have done solid and important work which we hope will have further development.” And again: «Participating in “Solve for Tomorrow” meant much more to our students than a school project: it was a concrete experience of collaboration, creativity and growth, in which ideas born from real needs were transformed into innovative solutions. Seeing the Active Balance project recognized by Samsung and experiencing the Milan Hackathon made this journey even more significant, with enthusiasm, discussion and great pride in the work done.”
Words that express well the profound meaning of the initiative: investing in the new generations so that technology and innovation do not remain abstract tools, but become opportunities for inclusion and attention to fragility. As he recalled Anastasia BudaHead of ESG, CSR & Internal Communication of Samsung Electronics Italia, «innovation is truly valuable only when it is designed to be accessible to all» confirming the company’s intention to «continue investing in young people, enhancing their talent and accompanying them in building a more open and fair future».
