Master Students Compete In Game-Changing Energy Challenges

4 teams of InnoEnergy Master students will compete to see their Game-Changing initiatives executed by four businesses

InnoEnergy, the European innovation engine for sustainable energy, has partnered with The GC Index®, and Initiate! to give InnoEnergy Master students the opportunity to deliver real solutions to four energy businesses.

The event will take place at the European Utility Week, in The Netherlands, between the 3rd-5th October 2017 as part of the Initiate! Programme.

The event will bring four employers and 100 of Europe’s Top Engineering Masters Students, from InnoEnergy’s Game-Changing Impact Programme, together to help tackle some real business challenges. The students will be mentored by four businesses during the challenge to help realise their game-changing ideas.

Each group of students will spend a day developing a strategy to overcome a real business challenge. They will present their ideas and strategy, which will be followed by a Q&A, before each of the four employers decide which team should win.

Nathan Ott, Chief Polisher at The GC Index® says, “The challenge is designed to not only get students thinking on their feet about real business issues but to understand the importance of teamwork in driving an idea to fruition. Knowing how everyone can contribute is essential if individuals and organisations are really going to succeed in changing the game and driving a sustainable future.”

 

The four employers who will be presenting their challenge to students are:

  • XTN Group Holding – a data hub for balancing energy forms particularly renewables from the Utilities and the Petroleum industry by empowered consumers
  • E.ON – one of the leading gas and electricity suppliers
  • Engie – a global energy company and expert in three sectors: electricity, natural gas and energy services
  • Energinet.dk – an independent public company that owns and develops electricity and gas grids in Denmark

 

Bjørn Bekkevold, Founder & CEO at XTN Group Holding says, “We are delighted to be taking part in this year’s challenge. It provides a wonderful opportunity to engage directly with our future employees and expose them to real business issues getting solutions and not only studies.”

 

Marloes Wichink Kruit, Human Capital Manager at InnoEnergy says: ‘’With the help of these employers, InnoEnergy, The GC Index® and Initiate! are able to give our students the opportunity to practice the theories they are learning. This is part of one of InnoEnergy’s cornerstones: to feed the market with a new wave of talent that is equipped with the relevant skills to make a game-changing impact.’’

 

Sietske Jacobs, project manager Initiate! Adds, “The Initiate! Young Talent programme strives to connect the next generation leaders to the professionals in the industry in order to make a positive impact. I am really looking forward to see the presentations with the fresh and creative ideas the students will come up with at when presenting them on the Initate! Stage.”

 

Ketan Makwana CEO at Enterprise Lab the company running the Game Changing Impact Challenges says, “Having initiatives such as the Game Changing Impact Challenge allows future generations spark their creativity and innovation in line with current industry challenges and aspirations. The challenges give students a real-life perspective and experience, which is priceless in their personal and professional development, whilst giving organisations new ways to innovate and improve their industries.”