Celebrating Youth and Use of Digital Tech for SDG Achievements

This year’s Youth International Day is celebrated under the theme “Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development”, which highlights how young people using digital tools can help us achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Across various regions, youth-led start-ups are turning innovative ideas into impactful solutions, demonstrating how digital technologies can advance the SDGs. Through the EU for Economic Growth (EU4EG) project, over 30 start-ups, many led by young entrepreneurs, have been supported to develop into investment-ready, sustainable businesses. These start-ups not only contribute to economic growth but also address critical issues such as climate change, food security, and resource management.

One of them is AviFly, a start-up from Rankovce in the North-East region of North Macedonia, founded by Dejan Mihajlov (33), Martin Mihajlov (31), and Filip Koviloski (20), who are an example of how young entrepreneurs are revolutionizing traditional industries such as agriculture. Their start-up is specializing in precision agriculture using specialized drones and software for disease detection and treatment with drones to help farmers improve crop management, increase yields, and optimize resources.

“Given that the average age of a worker in agriculture is 58 their methods and approach are traditional, it makes farming more difficult and with significant loss. With digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI), our services can help them lower 80-90% of the use of water and by 40% the use of pesticides, along with an increase in the harvest. The use of digital technologies and AI, makes farming more efficient and at the same time it is more attractive for young farmers.” – shares Martin Mihajlov, co-founder of AviFly.

Agri-Tech, or agricultural technology, involves the use of technology and innovation to enhance the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of agriculture, and it is crucial for addressing global food security, reducing environmental impact, and improving farmers’ livelihoods.

The importance of youth in driving AgriTech innovations is further illustrated by FixiGo. Filip Kostadinovski (23) and Gorjan Spirovski (23), founders of FixiGo from Tetovo, Polog region, have developed a software that processes data from photovoltaic-powered soil sensors to enhance agricultural efficiency. By providing real-time data on soil conditions, their technology empowers farmers to make informed decisions, improving productivity and sustainability. They currently offer their services to around 30 farmers, and with the support from the project they will improve the software and expand to the market.

“The use of digital technologies is essential—both now and in the future. The war in Ukraine have highlighted the vulnerability of the agricultural sector and how global crises such as climate change can threaten food supply. Therefore, we believe that investments should be directed towards agriculture, focusing on optimizing processes and leveraging digital technology to address the issue of labour scarcity, and young motivated people can do much in this direction.” – underlines Filip Kostadinovski, co-founder of FixiGo.

The impact of youth-driven digital innovations extends beyond agriculture. Until present, the EU4EG project has awarded grants totalling 4.15 million EUR to 20 high-growth MSMEs across sectors like recycling, agri-food, and manufacturing. This initiative is set to create significant impact, including the addition of 203 new jobs (with a focus on youth and women), substantial reductions of CO2 emissions, and an increase in company turnover.

Such example is the company Mitrotek from Ohrid, South-West region, where Katerina Staleska (32) is now leading the process of production of pellet barbeque with the use of high-tech CNC technology and robotics. She adds:

“Digital technology is crucial in manufacturing of optimisation of processes, and with the support of EU4EG, the new machines, software and robotic welding machine we can produce barbeques that are far more environmentally friendly, produce less CO2 emissions than the regular ones.”

Young people are the innovators, entrepreneurs, and change-makers driving North Macedonia’s, regional and EU sustainable development, using digital tools to address critical challenges like climate change and food security. To fully unlock their potential, they need continuous support through fair competition, transparent processes, and access to resources, mentorship and investors. By investing in youth and their digital innovations, we foster economic growth, resilience, and sustainable progress.

The project EU4EG is dedicated to enhancing local economic activity and competitiveness across four key regions in North Macedonia: North-East, Polog, South-West, and the Prespa area (Resen Municipality). By improving access to finance and advanced business services, EU4EG supports start-ups and MSMEs in realizing their growth potential.

EU for Economic Growth (EU4EG) project is co-funded by the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), implemented by GIZ North Macedonia and AREA Science Park from Trieste, Italy.