A platform for innovative projects

About

Students discovering their path to impact

The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Contest is an initiative of ¹û¶³´«Ã½ innovation Space that offers engineering ¹û¶³´«Ã½ students an annual competition and platform to transform their innovative ideas - related to grand societal challenges - into viable business concepts. Within their team, they follow an extra-curricular program to develop their entrepreneurial competences to become engineers of the future.

The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Contest takes place over a period of five months, in which the students work on their concepts in co-creation with a diverse network of experts across educational, business and societal fields (corporates, SME’s, NGO’s, governments, civil society, etc.). They follow an extra-curricular program to develop entrepreneurial competences during workshops, brainstorm sessions and networking events with like-minded students, coaches and experts. ​

The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Contest really helped us. Because it forced us to get in contact with more people, we were pushed out of our shell.

Gabrielle Mathieu from CyanO2, winner of 1st Prize 2024 and the Energy Transition Award

Goals

The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Contest is organized to:

  • Inspire and encourage students across all ¹û¶³´«Ã½ departments to develop entrepreneurial skills by addressing grand societal challenges.
  • Raise awareness of the entrepreneurial journey at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ among students, staff, and external stakeholders.
  • Offer a fun, part-time, five-month extra-curricular program to give students hands-on entrepreneurial experience.
  • Support students in transforming innovative ideas into viable business concepts.
  • Connect students with a network of experts from educational, business, and societal sectors for real-world experience and professional growth.
  • Contribute to ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€™s reputation as a center for innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • Provide a pathway for students and ideas with potential to continue developing beyond the contest.

As a partner of the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Contest, we can help the students either with technical questions, but more often also with business related questions.

Els Kok from Thermo Fisher Scientific, partner of the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Contest 2024

 

Follow the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Contest

11 years of student entrepreneurship

Since the first edition in 2015, all ¹û¶³´«Ã½ students can join the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Contest. They are challenged to develop themselves as engineers of the future and discover their path to impact. In co-creation with a diverse network of experts across educational, business and societal fields, the participating teams develop their innovative idea from concept to context. 

In 2024, the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Contest celebrated its 10th edition with 35 participating teams and 39 partners.

 

Organization

¹û¶³´«Ã½ innovation Space

¹û¶³´«Ã½ innovation Space is the center of expertise for Entrepreneurial and Challenge-Based Learning (CBL). It is a learning hub for co-creation of responsible solutions to real world-challenges by students together with researchers, industry, and societal organizations, thereby building and connecting open interdisciplinary thematic communities​. Read more about ¹û¶³´«Ã½ innovation Space

The Gate

The Gate is the entry-point where students from the Brainport region are assisted in getting their innovation ready for the market. They offer services to tech startups in the first stage of their existence, including: startup coaching, intellectual property advice, startup readiness programs, workshops and access to the most used funding opportunities within the Brainport region and beyond.

Contact


General questions

tuecontest@tue.nl

Press inquiries

communication.innovationspace@tue.nl

More info for (potential) particIpants

Please contact Beaudine Moll
WhatsApp: +31 (0)6 417 637 49
Email: tuecontest@tue.nl

More info for (potential) partners

Please contact Isabel de Haan or Emma Hoogers
Phone: +31 (0) 6 41447678 (Isabel)
Email: business.innospace@tue.nl



Visiting address ¹û¶³´«Ã½ innovation Space

Matrix (1st floor) 
Het Kranenveld 12
5612 AK Eindhoven (The Netherlands)

Visiting address The Gate

Alpha Hub (2nd floor) 
Het Eeuwsel 57
5612 AS Eindhoven (The Netherlands)

Postal address (for packages)

¹û¶³´«Ã½ innovation Space - Matrix 1.350
De Rondom 70
5612 AP Eindhoven (The Netherlands)