This year’s edition drew 109 students from 15 universities. Finalist teams spent six months developing their projects with the help of mentors, culminating in a high-energy pitch event at the MOME Auditorium, with a professional jury evaluating the proposals in front of nearly 100 guests. In her welcome speech, MOME Chief Executive Officer Réka Matheidesz noted the diverse academic backgrounds of the contestants, which added to the excitement of the competition. She also highlighted that the collaboration had been the inspiration for the creation of the MOME Business Community, designed to connect more industry partners with the university.  

CheckINN Managing Director Petra Gedei praised the teams’ commitment, pointing out how the steady progress from mentoring session to mentoring session showed the effort and dedication invested in the projects. 

The pitches showcased fresh, bold ideas ranging from repurposing disused border facilities, to transforming an old pig slaughterhouse into an event venue, to reviving a long-closed cinema with a culinary twist. 

The overall winner, based on total scores, was team JEDLIK ÁNYOS MUSEUM OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY, with their Park 4.0 concept, envisioning an unconventional museum on the site of the former hot rolling mill of Dunaferr Zrt. Corvinus University of Budapest students Gergő Dudás and Gergely Magyari proposed an experience-driven, interactive space where visitors could not only view but actively participate in exhibitions. With workshops on Industry 4.0, robot programming, drone demonstrations, and hands-on activities, the museum would introduce young audiences to cutting-edge technologies. The vast brownfield site would be transformed into a green community park, complete with spaces for concerts, festivals, and outdoor events. 

The aim was to turn an abandoned rustbelt area into a destination that combines education, sustainability, and tourism, offering a vibrant meeting place in place of the concrete sprawl. By locating the development on the outskirts of Budapest, between the 18th and 19th districts, the team hoped to help relieve strain on the city centre while creating an internationally relevant attraction in the suburbs. 

Second place went to team RE-VAGON from Széchenyi István University in Győr. Students Noémi Dávid and Vivien Darázs proposed breathing new life into the disused Rába Wagon Factory with a vibrant new community and tourism centre. Their design would feature the hall, with its structure reinforced and  stripped-back, converted into a multifunctional urban garden and flexible venue complex. 

The basement would house a laser tag arena, rental storage units and a skate park; the ground floor would offer communal spaces, rentable offices and workshops; and the upper floor would host event and lecture halls. In a quieter section of the site, an urban campsite and short-stay accommodation built from repurposed shipping containers would offer a place to stay for festival-goers and tourists. 

The team’s vision is for the once-abandoned industrial plot to become Győr’s new hub of community life: concerts and food trucks on summer evenings, craft markets, cafés, children’s activities, and skateboarding and sports during the day. Sustainability and full adaptability were central to the planning: all new structures would use modular solutions so they could adapt flexibly to the changing needs of residents and visitors. 

Each winner received a grant of HUF 1 million, while they and the other finalists will also have the chance to showcase their work and build networks at upcoming CheckINN alumni events and forums.  

At the close of the event, CheckINN Innovation Project Manager Benedek Tóth-Korsós announced that entries are now open for the 2025 CheckINN Tourism Innovation Competition, with full details available on their website. 

It was also revealed that the CheckINN Innovation Hub will run a day-and-a-half programme of professional events for visitors and participants as part of the Tourism Summit conference, taking place on 14–15 October 2025.