Viator, EFST and PMF award the best student projects

Good ideas become even more valuable when they have the chance to move from the classroom into the real business world. That was the idea behind a student project organised by Viator d.o.o., the company behind Last minute rent a car, in cooperation with the Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism in Split (EFST) and the Faculty of Science in Split (PMF).

The project concluded on 23 October 2026 with a special award ceremony recognising four winning teams. The total prize fund was 10,000€ with the best team in each category receiving 2,500€.

Turning academic knowledge into practical solutions

The competition was created for final-year undergraduate and graduate students from EFST and PMF. Working in teams, students had the opportunity to apply what they had learned at university to real business challenges connected with Viator and the car rental industry.

The topics focused on innovation and business development, ranging from AI-driven sales personalisation to analytics, new approaches to business management and ESG strategy. The goal was not simply to present an interesting idea, but to develop a solution with clear practical value.

Four teams, four winning solutions

Throughout the project, student teams developed their proposals by combining business thinking, data and technology, before presenting their solutions to an expert committee. Following the evaluation, one winning team was selected in each of the four categories.

The four winning teams were recognised for the quality of their projects, their approach to the challenge and the potential of their proposed solutions. Each received 2,500€, bringing the total prize fund to 10,000 EUR.

Bringing together business and STEM expertise

One of the strongest parts of the project was the combination of different areas of expertise. EFST contributes knowledge in economics, marketing, finance and management, while PMF brings a strong foundation in mathematics, data, technology and analytical thinking. Combined with Viator’s real business challenges, this gave students the opportunity to build solutions from several perspectives.

For Viator, cooperation like this is a valuable way to hear new ideas and fresh approaches. For students, it is an opportunity to test their knowledge on a real business case, working with the kind of requirements and constraints they will also meet beyond university.

A special event to celebrate the best projects

The project concluded on 23 October 2026 with a special ceremony and the presentation of awards to the winning teams. It was an opportunity to highlight the work created during the project, thank all participants for their effort and recognise the strongest solutions.

The prizes celebrate the winning teams, but the value of the project goes beyond the competition itself. Every team went through the process of analysing a problem, developing an idea and presenting a solution – an experience that connects academic knowledge with practical business work.

Fresh ideas for a changing industry

The car rental industry is changing quickly. Digital sales, automation, data, artificial intelligence and sustainability are becoming an increasingly important part of everyday business. Projects like this create space for new approaches while connecting young talent with real challenges facing modern companies.

The cooperation between Viator, EFST and PMF shows what can happen when academic knowledge, technology and business experience come together around the same goal: turning strong ideas into solutions that can make sense in the real world.