ESEIA Student Camp 2020
The ESEIA Student Camp 2020 at the University of Twente took place at the UT Designlab in Enschede, NL, on 24-28 February 2020. During the ESEIA interdisciplinary training, students developed solutions for real-life challenges on the regional bio-based economy together with experts. The focus was put on biorefinery, bioeconomy and circularity.
What did students work on?
- Students worked with the local soccer team to make the game more sustainable;
- explored the main aspects of heat production technology for hot water supply together with one of the most advanced local energy community in The Netherlands;
- investigated the future of the biobased potential and the innovations needed in the province;
- they collaborated with local companies resolving sustainability issues.
Under the supervision Prof. Maarten Arentsen from UTwente, NL, and of Prof. Wolfgang Bauer from TU Graz, AT, 18 students from Germany, Austria, Romania, Turkey, Indonesia and Ireland worked in teams on three different real-life challenges faced by local organisations in the region of Twente in The Netherlands.
The first challenge was brought by BEON, the association of regional bioenergy industries, focusing on biobased innovations in the region. The second challenge was carried out by the local energy cooperative Lochem Energy on the technical and economic feasibility of residential heat production in asphalt. The third challenge was offered by the local primary league soccer club FC Twente on sustainable soccer. Students made recommendations on sustaining energy consumption in the stadium, transportation to and from the stadium and waste management during and after soccer games.
The venue of the eseia Student Camp was the Designlab at the UTwente campus, a vibrant location for creativity and innovative ideas. The program included two excursions, one to the local soccer stadium and another to Twence Company, and also a dinner with the participants. Last day, students presented their findings, which were received with great enthusiasm by the three organisations involved in the challenges.
The eseia Student Camp is one of the innovative educational formats developed under the H2020 BioEnergyTrain BET. The four-year EC project was completed in April 2019. However, the two academic partners UTwente and TU Graz have continued the co-operative educational format due to its success. The student camps follow the student-centred or challenge-based learning format and continued to be organised by eseia and hosted by her member organisations.