ARIS Hosts South African Engineering Students for a Pitching Event as Part of EURYDICE Project

On Thursday, 15th June 2023, ARIS (A Really Inspiring Space) had the privilege of hosting a pitching event for university students from South Africa, organized by Deloitte’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (IEC). The event was part of the EURYDICE project, which aims to improve student employability in the renewable energy sector by fostering stronger collaborations between universities and industries.

About EURYDICE EURYDICE, funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ Programme, seeks to bridge the gap between theoretical education and practical experience, particularly within South Africa’s education system. The project involves six partners, including Deloitte Limited (Cyprus), Ulm University of Applied Sciences (Germany), Budapest University of Technology (Hungary), Technikum Wien (Austria), Durban University of Technology, Central University of Technology, and Tshwane University of Technology (South Africa).

As part of the project, a tailored fast-track virtual acceleration program was designed for graduate students of three Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in South Africa. This program provided students the opportunity to develop their innovative ideas into proof of concept or prototype solutions.

Pitching Event Highlights The top three student start-up teams from South Africa traveled to Cyprus to present their groundbreaking solutions. The teams and their projects were:

1. Thinkelectric (represented by Mcebisi Ngobese) – Offering a solar-powered security system integrated with IoT for enhanced safety.
2. SBA Renewable Energy Techs (represented by Aphiwe Sogiba, Siphamandla Mtelekiso, and Bongani Tshabalala) – Introducing a wastewater treatment model using a solar-powered chlorinator system.
3. JUSI ENERGY SOLUTIONS (represented by Siphiwe Mkhwanazi and Junia Lemphane) – Proposing a hybrid energy system that combines solar, hydro energy, and biogas to power wastewater sanitation processes.

Event Proceedings The event opened with remarks from Eliza Loucaidou, Director at Deloitte’s IEC & ARIS, who provided an overview of ARIS’s acceleration program. Dr. Marc-Oliver Otto, Dean at Technische Hochschule Ulm University, followed with an insightful presentation on the goals of the EURYDICE project.

Dr. Byron Ioannou, Head of the Department of Architecture at Frederick University, delivered a presentation on sustainable energy research, followed by discussions on gaps in the energy sector and innovative solutions. Anthi Chatzikyriakou and Monica Tsartsali from Deloitte’s IEC later explained the outcomes of the acceleration program.

Start-up Presentations In addition to the students’ pitches, ARIS resident start-ups shared their entrepreneurial journeys:

• IQ3SOLAR (presented by Dr. Charalambos Anastassiou) – Showcased an intelligent platform that monitors and optimizes the performance of photovoltaic systems.
• Aqualoop (presented by Dr. Matthew Norton) – Focused on their innovative hot water control system, highlighting the challenges in product development and commercialization.

The event provided a unique platform for the South African students to network with industry professionals and fellow entrepreneurs, gaining valuable insights for their business ventures.

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