SECOVE Launches International Student Competition to Boost Applied Research and Cooperation Across its Innovation Hubs
Aiming to strengthen sustainability and relevance in educational innovation, the SECOVE project has forged a dynamic idea for linking Innovation Hubs with COVEs and Industry in the Sustainability sector.
The basic concept is to get together the students, educational institutions and relevant SMEs in order to create a network which will intrigue and empower young innovators to develop original and innovative ideas in the energy sector for sustainability.
In order to provide a foundation for this networking and to ensure the sustainability of the target, SECOVE project created the following Innovation Hubs in the partners’ countries:
- Technology-Driven Education Innovation Hub, in Portugal
- Centre for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction HUB, in Slovakia
- HUB of Flexible Solar Energy Application Lab, in Greece
- Digital Transformation – Internet of Things HUB, in Spain
- Innovation Hub on Energy Efficiency of Buildings, in Italy
- Entrepreneurship Academy HUB, in Greece
Now, the core and the most fascinating part of the project begins! The Innovation Hubs, participants COVEs, Academic Institutions and Partners are inviting students to participate to the Student Applied Research Competition, which offers multiple and substantial benefits, and which will contribute decisively to their academic development and future professional career.
By engaging with Applied Research and Innovation, Student teams will have the opportunity to delve into applied research, developing original and innovative ideas in direct collaboration with distinguished companies, which hold a leading position in the field of Sustainability. This practical experience is of fundamental importance for understanding contemporary challenges and developing practical solutions.
The participants in the competition will benefit from the valuable guidance, rich experience and specialized know-how of distinguished academics and experts from the COVEs, VET providers, Universities, and the Innovations Hub they choose to work with. Student teams will have networking opportunities with SMEs, companies and industries with expertise and active involvement in energy and sustainability sector technologies and solutions, particularly those focused on energy optimization, green building design, energy saving innovations, IoT, Sustainability Entrepreneurship and innovation and renewable energy integration. The SMEs involved could provide supervision of the Student’s project or host study visits or provide the team with an actual challenge to solve.
Finally, the Student Teams will benefit from the international perspective provided by participating in a European project. Beyond the advantages the competition offers at the national level (networking, knowledge, experience), the winner of the National competition will advance to the European level, where their idea will compete against the winning teams from the other countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Greece). This provides an opportunity for European recognition, while the International winner will be awarded at the project Final Conference in Piraeus, in May 2026. The project consortium, leveraging its network of contacts and collaborations, will strive to support the winning team for the implementation of their project idea.
This entails significant European recognition, acquisition of international experiences and further strengthening of the youth’s knowledge and skills.
SECOVE invites ambitious students to unleash their creativity, leverage their academic knowledge and available collaboration networks, and actively contribute to the promotion of Sustainability! For more details, visit the project’s website and social media!
