Skills for the Future fostering the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs in Europe
Skills for the Future is a secondary schools programme executed in collaboration with EIT Food and EIT Climate-KIC. Each EIT Innovation Community is active in a different region – EIT RawMaterials in Slovenia, EIT Climate-KIC in Hungary and EIT Food in Sicily. The programme is delivered in partnership with JA Europe and equips students with entrepreneurial skills and sector-specific knowledge as students create mini companies with mentorship from the EIT Innovation Communities industry partners. The theme of the programme is the circular economy – inspiring students to innovate products or services and contribute to the European Green Deal.
Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, students remained motivated, sustained their mini-companies and continued to work with mentors online. At the Slovenian final competition this year, held online on 6-8 May 2020, three teams were awarded the EIT RawMaterials Circular Economy Award.
- Sesalko, a team from Skofja Loka developed a replacement motor for vacuum cleaners that is both energy efficient and easily repaired, thereby extending the life of the product.
- Slobike, from Idrija, produces cargo-bikes produced from the scrap material recovered from discarded bicycles.
- The first-place winner, DryMeNow from Ljubljana, invented a clothing dryer that is produced from nearly 100% repurposed materials.
Furthermore, the overall winner of the Slovenian competition was Recolor from Skofja Loka, who designed and produce refillable spray paint canisters using reused scrap metal.
These student teams were among 300 students who participated in Skills for the Future in Slovenia and among the more than 1000 students who participated in the programme across Europe. EIT RawMaterials is proud that the next generation displays such ingenuity and dedication to a sustainable future in raw materials and looks forward to continuing to support students in Slovenia in the years to come.
