L’X takes part in the EuroTeQaThon in Prague
The third edition of the EuroTeQaThon engaged eighteen teams of students from the six associated universities of the EuroTeQ Engineering University, including École Polytechnique, from June 10th to 12th, 2023, at the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU).
École Polytechnique was represented by a team of five students from its Bachelor of Science program and two teams who had taken part in the student challenge organized by the interdisciplinary center Energy4Climate (E4C). Founded by Institut Polytechnique and École des Ponts ParisTech in 2019, the center E4C focuses on the energy transition and counts about thirty laboratories specialized in various disciplines.
The projects of the three teams respectively focused on the inefficient and unsustainable disposal of mass agricultural waste as well as reducing households’ energy consumption.
This international student competition enables the best teams from EuroTeQ’s six partner institutions to present the projects they have developed as part of the 'Collider' course format, focused on challenge-based learning and interdisciplinarity.
Alongside École Polytechnique and CTU, the EuroTeQ Engineering University includes four other prestigious universities of science and technology: Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Technical University of Munich (TUM), Technical University of Denmark (DTU), and Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech).
Solutions designed to increase sustainability
The course “Collider” encourages students to tackle challenges linked to the theme “Leave no waste behind”. To do so, they are asked to work in teams to develop new solutions aimed at resolving these challenges. Sustainability is a concern that the universities of the network are highly committed to. Hence, they decided to place the subject at the center of the Collider course, challenging students to elaborate innovative solutions to resolve existing problems.
At the EuroTeQaTon, the teams presented their projects to each other and in front of the jury. Throughout the two-day event, they could also rely on the advice of experts and the other participating teams to enhance their respective solutions.
"I was keen to participate in the EuroTeQaThon as this international competition offers the opportunity to meet students from other universities who work on similar projects and also to benefit from coaching to develop our project", explains Malo Le Gall, a student of École Polytechnique’s Ingénieur Polytechnicien program.
The team "ReChar" rethinks agricultural waste management
Composed of students of École Polytechnique’s Bachelor program, the team "ReChar" tackled the major challenge of inefficient and unsustainable disposal of mass agricultural waste. In a context where ecological issues are increasingly concerning, finding innovative solutions to reduce waste and promote sustainable practices is essential. The team proposes an innovative solution set up near agricultural lands, reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation and packaging.
Two approaches for energy efficiency
The teams "Energize Savings" and "Power-Off" presented two solutions for reducing energy consumption. Energize Savings proposes a smart application that tracks users' energy consumption while providing advice to save energy. As for Power-Off, they advocate for a solution that calls for a change in our habits to use energy more responsibly.
The participation of École Polytechnique in the EuroTeQaThon demonstrates the institution's commitment to innovation and the search for concrete solutions to societal issues. By offering their students the opportunity to participate in such events, the School fosters their personal and professional development and contributes to the emergence of innovative ideas.
Three winning teams
Toward the end of the two-day event, the jury selected the winning teams in the three categories Impact - Innovation - Ready to Launch of this EuroTeQaThon edition.
The team "The Himalayan Legos" (TUM) won in the category Impact with their solution for transforming plastic waste into construction bricks. "Space Junk Jaggernauts" (TU/e) was designated winner of the category Innovation with their solution preventing cubical satellites in low Earth orbit from turning into space junk thanks to drag sail technology. As for the Ready to Launch category, the winning team is "SoftAware" (TUM) with their solution to raise awareness of the impact of carbon footprints on the planet among web developers.
The EuroTeQaThon invites students to connect with students of other disciplines. The exchange of ideas, knowledge, and experiences among the participating teams supports the emergence of new perspectives and strengthens cohesion among the founding members of the EuroTeQ Engineering University.