Inova Comércio challenges 60 students to create technological solutions for Ponta Grossa businesses

The Inova Comércio in Ponta Grossa will bring together 60 students of the higher course of Systems Analysis and Development of Senac College on Saturday (31), in an innovation marathon aimed at creating technological solutions for local commerce. The initiative will be held at Sebrae/PR headquarters, from 9 am to 5 pm, and will focus on real problems faced by micro and small companies in the city.

Promoted through a partnership between Sebrae/PR and Fecomércio PR, the event seeks to bring academic knowledge closer to the needs of entrepreneurs, encouraging the development of tools that can improve management, optimize processes and expand business opportunities.

Students will seek solutions to real trade problems

The Inova Comércio was organized in two stages. In the first, difficulties faced by small entrepreneurs of Ponta Grossa were identified, especially those that can be solved with the use of technology.

Among the main challenges pointed out are the need for tools for marketing automation, organizational systems and computerization of companies and digital strategies to attract new customers.

Based on this information, the 60 university students will be challenged to develop innovative proposals that can be applied in the routine of commercial establishments.

The president of Sindilojas of Ponta Grossa and vice president of Fecomércio PR, José Loureiro Neto, highlights that the initiative follows the technological transformations and changes in consumer behavior.

“The challenges of commerce change as technology advances and consumer behavior changes. Nowadays, entrepreneurs need tools that make management easier, optimize processes and help them reach new customers,” he says.

According to Loureiro, bringing technology students closer to the needs of retail contributes to strengthening competitiveness and stimulating the growth of companies.

Ideas can become startups

In addition to contributing to the modernization of the Ponta Grossa trade, Inova Comércio also aims to stimulate entrepreneurship among students.

The proposal is that participants develop projects with potential for application in other cities and regions, expanding the possibilities to transform ideas into innovative businesses.

According to Sebrae/PR consultant, Thaise Amaral, the goal is to encourage the creation of scalable solutions that can serve different markets.

“While the challenges originate in local trade, the solutions developed can reach other markets. Because they are business models with potential for scale, such as startups, the intention is to encourage and guide participants to think about solutions that can be replicated in different markets," he explains.

The consultant also points out that the expectation is that university students end the creative marathon with proposals that have the potential to turn into real businesses.

Best projects will be awarded with recognition from the evaluating bank

During the event, students will have the opportunity to put into practice the knowledge acquired in the classroom, developing technological proposals to meet the demands identified by the merchants.

At the end of the programming, the projects will be presented to an evaluating bank, responsible for selecting and classifying the three best ideas.

For the Executive Manager of Senac College, João Guilherme Baggio, participation in Inova Comércio represents an opportunity to connect academic training to the labor market.

“This action is directly linked to our purpose as an institution, which seeks to ally theory with practice. These students will participate in a functional activity, useful for society and will realize how everything they learn in the classroom can be reflected, in a positive way, within the labor market.

The initiative is expected to contribute both to the training of future technology professionals and to the strengthening of the trade of Ponta Grossa and Campos Gerais.

Service: Inova Comércio 2026

Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026

Opening hours: from 9 am to 5 pm

Location: Sebrae/PR headquarters, in Ponta Grossa

Participants: 60 students from Senac College

Objective: to develop technological solutions for micro and small business challenges

Evaluation: selection of the three best proposals