Students and doctoral students from universities affiliated to The Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk presented innovative prototypes that could change our future to the rector and dean authorities of UG, MUG and GdańskTech. The ‘Power Plant of the Future’ project was the winner, and its authors will travel to a foreign conference on sustainable energy.

The competition organised by Fahrenheit Universities attracted exceptional talent who not only presented their inter-university projects, but also visions that could revolutionise the way we approach ecology, waste management and public health. Prototypes such as the Power Plant of the Future, the TIGO Trash-in-Gas-Out and the SolarHealth Hub won praise from the Chapter, which awarded them funding to implement their ideas in June 2024. The presentations of the results of the work during the finale aroused enthusiasm among the participants, who were also eager to ask questions about the implementation and possibilities for further development of these projects.

Mirosław Chyła, Mayor of Pelplin, announced his intention to support the development of the SolarHealth Hub project by providing the initiative with additional funding and enabling the implementation of the solution in the Pelplin municipality. He stressed that he saw the potential to improve the quality of life of residents, especially in areas with limited access to medical care.

‘This is not the first time that Fahrenheit Colleges has encouraged the student community to create intercollegiate projects. We subsidise some of them. For the first time, this competition has been focused on a narrower theme and is exclusively about sustainable energy solutions. This competition is an excellent opportunity for young scientists to showcase their skills and ideas, but also to establish interdisciplinary cooperation. We have a lot of talent in Gdańsk that can contribute to making real changes in our everyday life,' said prof. dr hab. inż Adriana Zaleska-Medynska, Director of the Daniel Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk.

The creativity and preparation of the young people is also appreciated by Aramco, the largest fuel and energy company in the world, which awarded a prize for the best presentation for the ‘Power Plant of the Future’ project. This was to recognise the team that, in addition to the innovation of the idea, also demonstrated the best soft skills, particularly valued in today's job market. This is not the first time Aramco has been involved in supporting educational projects in the spirit of STEM.

The inter-university projects presented illustrate the unique ideas of young scientists:

• Power Plant of the Future - a team from the University of Gdańsk and the Medical University of Gdańsk, consisting of: Mateusz Baluk, Damian Makowski, Dawid Strzelecki, Julia Dunajska, Aleksandra Kotz and Aleksandra Kierczak presented Power Plant of the Future - an integrated prototype of a photoelectrochemical cell using renewable energy from the sun and wind to produce green hydrogen.
• TIGO Trash-in-Gas-Out - a team from the Gdansk University of Technology and the University of Gdansk comprising: Michal Dominow, Rafal Kowalski, Łukasz Arcimowicz and Dzmitry Dauhalevich developed an innovative reactor for processing organic waste and plastics, using modern processes such as pyrolysis, reforming and synergistic effects, which could revolutionise the approach to waste management and hydrogen production.
• SolarHealth Hub - The Medical Intelligence Lab Scientific Circle from the Gdansk University of Technology and the Medical University of Gdansk is creating a portable health hub powered by solar energy. The project aims to provide residents in areas with difficult access to medical care with the ability to take basic health measurements, combining modern technology with the needs of the community. The team responsible for realising this vision consists of Daniel Cieślak (GdańskTech, MUG), Michalina Razik ( GdańskTech ), Kinga Grzęda ( GdańskTech ), Zuzanna Mederska ( GdańskTech ), Karolina Zielińska ( GdańskTech ) and Anna Prus (GdańskTech, UG).

The competition jury was composed of:

• prof. dr hab. inż. Adriana Zaleska-Medynska, Director of the Daniel Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk
• from the Medical University of Gdańsk: prof. dr hab. Michał Pikuła (Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, MUG), Paweł Orłowski (Chairman of the MUG Academic Board) and Mateusz Kirjak, MUG Research Projects Department.
• from GdańskTech: prof. dr hab. Ewa Klugmann-Radziemska (Chemistry Department GdańskTech), prof. Jacek Barański (Energy Institute GdańskTech) and dr hab. Damian Głowienka, Institute of Physics and Applied Computer Science GdańskTech
• from the University of Gdańsk: dr hab. Sylwia Mrozowska, prof. UG (Faculty of Social Sciences UG) and dr hab. Małgorzata Łosiewicz, prof. UG (Institute of Media UG).
• Jarosław Kobus, President of the Management Board and Maciej Szozda from Aramco Fuels Poland.

Congratulations to the awarded teams!