4 student teams awarded at Engineering Innovation Challenge 2023 prize ceremony for sustainable engineering solutions
Each innovation revolved around improving Singapore’s city living.
Four youth teams were crowned champions at the Engineering Innovation Challenge (EIC) 2023 Prize Presentation for their engineering ideas and creations on Saturday (Aug 26).
Held at ITE College Central’s Tay Eng Soon Convention Centre, the Challenge awards were given to teams consisting of students from Yuvabharathi International School, Hwa Chong Institution, ITE College West and Monash University respectively.
They emerged as winners among 137 local and international teams after rounds of judging, where they were able to impress with their innovations that seek to “contribute to resilient city living”.
This year’s EIC focused on the theme Shaping a Circular Economy through Engineering, which encouraged youth participants to learn from practising engineers and come up with design prototypes that could help contribute to increasing resilient city living in Singapore.
All champion teams’ innovations reflected this idea, with their innovations being related to renewable energy, sustainable packaging, climate control and rising water levels.
A team from Yuvabharathi International School won in the Secondary Schools category for their project titled Sustinere Energy. After noticing Singapore’s rising electricity demand, they ideated a prototype that generates renewable energy using compressed stored air that can be run continuously and sustainably.
The Junior Colleges category champion title was awarded to a Hwa Chong Institution team, which proposed a solution for pharmaceutical packaging through the development of biodegradable starch-based plastic packaging. They described how bioplastics “can be synthesised from food waste” and are renewable resources that could make Singapore’s medical scene more eco-friendly.
The third category, for Polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education (ITE) teams, saw an ITE College West team taking the win. They prototyped a wearable climate control technology innovation. Their project derived from the team’s wish to “combat the heat” during the current global warming and climate situation, where their technology could help tackle “increasing urban heat in city living”.
The champion title for the Local and Overseas Universities category went to a team from Monash University. The team proposed an engineering solution involving water level detection systems and proximity sensors to flood-proof roads and prevent water accumulation in urban areas.
The awards were presented to the four champion teams by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who also witnessed the launch of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore’s (IES) Student Chapter with ITE.
This new Chapter will provide ITE engineering students with more opportunities to work with IES and other Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) in engineering-related talks, workshops and industry visits.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between IES and 11 IHLs to “strengthen collaborations” between institutes to nurture engineering professionals capable of leading Singapore’s future growth.
