• Contest promotes innovation among business and engineering students
• Winning team to visit Schneider Electric’s global facilities, receive employment offers from company

Dubai-UAE: 17 April, 2017 – Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, has launched the seventh edition of ‘Go Green in the City,’ its annual global challenge for business and engineering students that promotes innovative energy management ideas for smart cities. 

Business and engineering undergraduate and post-graduate students from all over the world can join the competition until 12 May, 2017. Teams must submit a case study illustrating their ideas for innovative energy management solutions in cities related to one of the four topics: Strategy and Technology, Cooling Solutions, Energy Storage and Efficiency, and Integrated Urban Energy Systems. Alternatively, they can focus on a unique idea in the field of sustainability under the No Boundaries category. In line with the company’s commitment to diversity, each two-person team must have at least one female member.

Sevda Esenturk, Vice President of HR for Gulf Countries and Pakistan at Schneider Electric, said: “Innovation must never die out – it is what ensures the survival of our ecosystems and industries. Building the right skillsets is the first step towards adapting available solutions to changing times, trends and technologies. We must train the next generation of engineers and business leaders to approach sustainable innovation from the perspective of a triple bottom line – people, planet and profits. They must learn to utilise tools that can effectively address the world’s most pressing energy and urban infrastructure challenges.” 

She added: “Go Green in the City – now in its seventh edition and more popular than ever before – reflects Schneider Electric’s continued commitment to advancing know-how, building skillsets, and increasing youth engagement in science and technology. This region is home to some incredible talent, and we urge all interested students to enter our competition that opens doors to valuable learning and career opportunities.”

Since its launch in 2011, the challenge has witnessed increasing participation year-on-year. In 2016, the competition received a total of 1,184 submissions from 180 countries. Last year’s winning team from Fachhochschule Aachen in Germany came up with an innovative off-grid irrigation system powered by wind turbines to provide rural agricultural communities with access to clean energy at a low cost.

Significantly, Middle East and Africa accounted for the second largest regional representation in the semi-finals. The UAE’s Masdar Institute team made it to the top 12 finalists with its proposal to install solar panels made of heavy-duty glass on sidewalks and bicycle tracks. Students Arslan Anjum and Hiba Riaz demonstrated how the solution would charge electric cars and feed back into the city grid, ensuring sustainable distribution of power. 

Speaking about their experience, they said: “Schneider Electric’s ‘Go Green in the City’ contest provides students a valuable platform to test their strengths after building up skills and subject-matter knowledge in an academic environment. Such a practical, hands-on and creative approach is essential for young people seeking a career in the STEM sciences, and for those aspiring to create meaningful impact and solutions to pressing global issues. The competition also gave us access to inspiring professionals, field experts and like-minded students from around the world. I highly recommend all interested regional engineering and business students to submit a proposal.” 

Schneider Electric will announce the global semi-finalists on 9 June. The selected teams will have two months to work with a mentor from the company to create a synopsis and a video presentation of their idea. The 10 finalist teams, to be revealed on 7 August, will fly to Paris to compete in the grand finale from 9 to 13 October. Members of the winning team will travel the world VIP-style to visit Schneider Electric facilities, and network with employees and high-level management. In addition, they will receive job offers from Schneider Electric offices in their home countries.