Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, launches Go Green in the City 2019, it’s annual global student contest to find bold ideas and innovative solutions for smarter, more energy-efficient and sustainable cities.
Now in its ninth year, Go Green in the City is a major event for business and engineering students worldwide. In 2018, over 24,000 young innovators from more than 3,000 universities in 163 countries took part, including 58% women.
The stakes for Go Green in the City competitors are high. Not only do the competitors get a chance to make an impact in powering the digital economy, but they also get a chance to win an international trip to Schneider Electric ’s Global Innovation Summit 2019 , a 2-days event on October 2-3, 2019, in Barcelona (Spain) which will bring together Schneider Electric experts and world-leading industry thinkers to share insights and bold ideas on the challenges and opportunities of Powering the Digital Economy. Students will have opportunities to be connected and be mentored by industry experts, ultimately to work for Schneider Electric.
Sustainability and Technology working together
In 2019, the competition should attract even more interest, thanks to the four specific topic categories. Students are invited to submit their bold ideas in one of four categories: “Buildings of the Future”, “Plants of the Future”, “Grids of the Future” and “Sustainability and Access to Energy”.
The challenges are connected to Schneider Electric’s sustainability business strategy and reflects the company’s commitment with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), inviting students to share ideas to reshape the future and show a more effective side of sustainability: the connection of the social and environmental impacts with technology and the business world.
Olivier Blum, Global Chief Human Resources Officer at Schneider Electric commented, “The young generation today face considerable challenges in creating a bright future for themselves. Achieving a sustainable world future is only possible when empowering young people and helping them to become a driving force for innovation. I am proud that Go Green in the City has become a platform for students to develop their ideas for a better tomorrow.”
An ever-learning journey for students
Zvirevo Chisadza and Tariro Cynthia Mutsindikwa, from Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences in Algeria, shared their excitement as 2018 Go Green in the City global winners: “ My Go Green in the City 2018 competition journey was such an amazing experience. It all started as a small idea but through the help of the Schneider Electric mentors it became big and more defined to fight against the world hunger”, said Tariro Cynthia. “ Through the competition, we networked with Schneider Electric experts and had a chance to learn about sustainability challenges in the world”, commented Zvirevo.
Teams must be composed of two students attending accredited business, engineering, physics, computer science, mathematics and other sciences schools. They must be from the same country or region for the duration of the competition. Each team should include at least one female member, in line with Schneider Electric’s policy of promoting Diversity and Inclusion. The deadline for submissions is May 25th, 2019.