The third edition of the Students' Green Challenge: ideas, passion and a sustainable future with Michelin
Students' Green Challenge 3rd edition: the last stage of an extraordinary journey towards green innovation
A room full of students ready to change the world, an international company of excellence such as Michelin to launch the challenge, and a vibrant atmosphere of collaboration and vision: this was the third and final edition of the Students' Green Challenge, organised by the Università degli Studi di Torino (UniTo) Spin-off and Entrepreneurship Office together with NODES Spoke 2.
The initiative ended on a high note with a challenge that was both concrete and visionary: to rethink industrial water management from a sustainable perspective, turning a need into an opportunity to reduce environmental impact and improve company performance.
A Michelin challenge for the future of the environment
Michelin, partner company of the third edition, asked participants to imagine innovative solutions to optimise water treatment at its production sites, with a focus on reuse, savings and improved efficiency. The context? A plant of excellence that aims to become increasingly green.
The students tackled the challenge in multidisciplinary teams, combining skills in engineering, economics, environmental science and communication, among others. The proposals submitted showed an incredible capacity for systemic vision.
Kick-off Day | 27 March 2025
The course started at the Palazzo del Rettorato of UniTO. After the institutional greetings, Michelin explained the Challenge's challenge and objectives, while representatives from the University of Turin and Spoke 2 accompanied the students in forming teams and organising the work. The matchmaking session allowed the emergence of perspective-rich groups, ready to tackle together a topic as technical as it is important.
Mentors’ Day | 03 April 2025
On 3 April, an intensive mentoring day took place at the Campus Luigi Einaudi. With the support of experts and professionals, the teams were able to deepen the technical, environmental and communicative aspects of their proposals. Ideas became more solid, more concrete, more ambitious. A living laboratory of innovation and confrontation, where collective intelligence really made a difference.
Pitching and Award Ceremony | 16 April 2025
The grand finale took place once again at the Palazzo del Rettorato di UniTO, in front of a high-profile evaluation committee: Michele Ambrogio (Michelin), Edoardo Braccio (Spoke 2), Claudia Pescitelli (2i3T), Tommaso Mannino (Michelin), Giorgio Boero (Proplast).
The projects presented showed creativity, scientific rigour and entrepreneurial spirit. And for the first time, the evaluation committee decided to award two first prizes ex aequo, recognising the complementary value of the ideas proposed by the Magic Drops and Cyclamen teams.
Alongside them, the other teams stood out: Spaceflow, Acqualicious, H20 YEAH! and CleanFlow, all of which were able to bring forward solid and promising proposals.
A symbolic closure, a beginning for many
The Students' Green Challenge is not just a competition: it is a catalyst for change, a bridge between academia and business, an opportunity for young people to confront real problems and build their professional future.
This third edition not only marked the end of the project cycle, but also confirmed how important it is to bet on talent, multidisciplinarity and collaboration to meet the challenges of sustainability.
The future is now
Three editions, 15 teams, almost a hundred students involved, and an increasingly strong network between universities, companies and territories. The Students' Green Challenge leaves a deep mark and opens the way to new forms of shared innovation.
Even if the format ends here, the energy, ideas and connections born from this experience will continue to generate value.
Thanks to all who believed in this project.
A sustainable future is built together.
To find out more about this and other editions of the Students' Green Challenge click here
