Predicting failures, protein lemonade and microgreens: Macedonian green ideas are travelling to Prizren

Following the national finals, ARNO announces the three winning ideas that will represent Macedonia at the regional Balkan Green Ideas competition, to be held from 3 to 5 November in Prizren, Kosovo. The winners are ding.mk from Bitola, Medoteka Najdovski from Veles and Urbana Farma from Skopje.

ding.mk (Bitola) — Brothers Blagojche and Aleksandar Kolichoski are developing a predictive system and low-cost sensors for small producers. The platform is already running at a client site, monitoring temperature and humidity and controlling valves, using its own software on standard hardware. By extending the lifespan of old machines and preventing breakdowns, the system reduces waste, energy consumption and the embedded emissions of new equipment.

Protein lemonade from walnut flour (Veles) — The family company Medoteka Najdovski produces cold-pressed walnut oil, a process that leaves behind flour containing more than 45 percent protein. Rather than discarding it, the team combines it with freeze-dried lemon to create a plant-based protein drink in powder form — free from gluten, soy and lactose. The idea is an example of the circular economy: waste becomes a premium product with a smaller environmental footprint than animal protein.

Urbana Farma (Skopje) — Kosta Boguchevski, a pharmacy student, is developing a vertical microgreens farm in 24 square metres of his family home. It uses existing indoor space without new construction, LED lighting, coconut substrate and an electric tricycle for deliveries. The microgreens grow quickly, with little water and no chemicals, while the waste is composted — making the idea an example of sustainable urban agriculture.

This year’s edition of Green Ideas covered an impressive range of ideas: beekeeping mentorship programmes pairing newcomers with hives, an AI-powered wardrobe app that helps people buy less and wear more of what they already own, handmade natural cosmetics with responsible packaging, apple cider vinegar made from apples too “imperfect” for the fresh produce market, non-toxic textile care replacing old-school dry-cleaning chemicals, youth-led bio-pellet production turning agricultural waste into clean energy, modular products made from repurposed textiles, and an outdoor nature-education garden for children.

The Green Ideas competition was held entirely online and in English this year, with a stronger focus on measurable impact indicators. The jury — consisting of Roberta Brajanoska from the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES), Vlatko Danilov, Dancho Dimkov and Lolita Cimerkova from MKA 2000, Bojana Kiselovski from Macedonia 2025, Ebru Radevski from Skopje City Mall, and Ivica Marinković from Pakomak — selected the best ideas, while a representative from INOVA, Marija Janevska, also took part in the first phase of evaluation.

The winners will now prepare for the regional competition, where the top three representatives from each country compete in two categories for grants of 5,000 or 10,000 dollars. North Macedonia has so far won 12 regional recognitions, with a total of 110,000 dollars invested in developing the country’s impact businesses.