Award Ceremony of SECOVE’s Applied Research & Innovation Competition – National and Transnational

In the SECOVE’s Final Congress, which took place at the University of West Attica (Greece) on 22 May, 2026, the Applied Research Competition Winner Award took place for the projects of the national participations. Furthermore, the Transnational winner was announced!

After a short presentation of the concept, procedures, and targets of the Competition by CRES, the floor was given to the youth, and the Congress body had the opportunity to watch the student teams that won the national competitions present their innovative project ideas.

Amalia Fantaki, a Business Administration student and Greece’s Entrepreneurship Academy Innovation Hub winner, kicked off the pitching session. Her project, “Solar Bus Stand with Digital Update, WiFi and Device Charging,” tackles outdated public infrastructure by offering an energy-autonomous, solar-powered smart bus stop. Built on established tech, it provides a highly functional, scalable solution for modern cities!

The project “Modular IoT platforms for Smart and Sustainable Buildings”—created by Politeknika Txorierri students Iker Medina, Eneko Aced, and Inar Ruiz—won Spain’s Digital Transformation Innovation Hub. By introducing an open, modular IoT platform that processes and visualizes real-time environmental data, it tackles building energy waste and disconnected systems. The platform creates smarter, healthier spaces and cuts energy use by up to 30%!

Sara Guidi, winner of Italy’s Innovation Hub on Energy Efficiency of Buildings, pitched her project “Tuko Pamoja: a climate-responsive school in rural Kenya.” The project aims to improve indoor and outdoor comfort using passive design strategies by incorporating traditional earth-building techniques, ensuring community collaboration, and using local, recycled materials!

The three-member winning team from the SOLTEX Innovation Hub (UNIWA)—Niki Kontea, Dimitrios Boutselakis, and Anastasios Panou—presented the “Solar Operational Vest with Integrated CIGS Technology for First Responders.” To solve the issue of emergency personnel carrying heavy, heat-sensitive lithium-ion batteries for their electronics, the project proposes a protective, energy-autonomous vest powered by solar textiles!

The “Scalable Model for Climate-Resilient and Energy-Independent Buildings” was the national winner from the Smart & Green Infrastructure Innovation Hub of Slovakia, a project of Yvonne Jakubčiaková and Natalia Juhásová. The water supply, energy and waste management of a tourist guesthouse were studied in order to provide scalable solutions for better sustainability indicators and CO₂ emissions reduction, which can be applied in various buildings and adapted to specific requirements!

Francisca Silva and Rui Marinho, members of the winning team from the Technology-Driven Education Innovation Hub of Spain, proposed the Design and Development of a MOOC on Sustainable Energy Topics, suggested by industry partner Abora, a hybrid solar technology company. The students designed a MOOC on Hybrid Solar Energy, tracking every learner interaction in real time, which observes, measures, and helps educators improve!

After each pitching, Xanthos Theodoros, Vice Rector of Internationalization and Extroversy of UNIWA, awarded the representatives of the Winning Teams with the Honorary Plaque of SECOVE’s National competitions!

The moment of anticipation has arrived with the announcement of the Translational Winner: although it has been a tight competition, the Solar Operational Vest with Integrated CIGS Technology for First Responders of the SOLTEX Innovation Hub gained the first prize for its innovation, excellence, and the impact of the project’s idea on sustainability goals! Mrs. Kontea received the Honorary Plaque on behalf of the team and delivered a short, thankful, and inspiring speech, underlining the impact of SECOVE’s Innovation Hub Applied Research Competition on the motivation of the student community towards a sustainable future.

Congratulations to all the winners and every single team that joined this exciting journey!