The equator of the acceleration program "Technological Caucasus. Peaks of Innovation" was held at the North Caucasus Federal University, becoming a key point that divided the educational track into two stages and summed up the interim results of the work of student teams.

Before reaching the equator, more than 400 NCFU students were involved in the development of their own projects: they formed teams, worked on ideas and mastered the basics of presentation. The participants completed a series of practice-oriented events, including design sprints on idea generation and team building, self-presentation training, a meeting with a technology entrepreneur, a master class in public speaking and other activities.

The result of the first stage was Equator, which brought together more than 150 students representing over 30 teams. As part of the event, participants presented trial presentations of their projects to experts from NCFU and the Fund for the Promotion of Innovative Development of the Stavropol Territory, receiving recommendations on finalizing ideas and further development.

"The technological Caucasus. Peaks of Innovation" is being implemented as a startup school aimed at developing technological entrepreneurship in the North Caucasus Federal District. It helps students and researchers turn ideas into real products aimed at replacing foreign analogues and solving the problems of industrial partners.

The program builds a link between science and the market, creating conditions for the formation of sustainable teams and bringing developments to the stage of practical implementation.

Within the framework of the project, participants undergo comprehensive training: they form teams of students, graduates and scientists, master the base of technological entrepreneurship according to federal standards, test hypotheses and look for first clients under the guidance of experts, as well as build professional relationships with mentors, investors and business representatives.