Win a Fully Funded Trip to Istanbul – Join the De-TECH Tech Challenge 2025

Solve a real-world problem and win a fully funded trip to Istanbul.

Flights, accommodation, and the full program are covered for the winning teams.

What are Tech Challenges?
A De-TECH Tech Challenge is a real-world problem provided by a company or industry stakeholder. The challenge reflects current technological or innovation-related issues. International, interdisciplinary teams of students and research staff develop innovative solution concepts to address these challenges.

This Year’s Challenge — Aerospace: Space Debris and Orbital Safety

Theme: Sustainable satellite structures and mission end-of-life strategies to minimize environmental impact.
Aluminum currently dominates satellite structures, but its re-entry produces alumina particles that harm the ozone layer. Additional concerns include uncontrolled metal dispersion in the upper atmosphere and the lack of systematic approaches to ensure safe satellite demise.

Topics include:
1. Replacing aluminum with alternative materials
2. Minimizing metal dispersion during re-entry
3. Develop robust “Design for Demise” or “Design for Non-Demise” models to reduce the Earth–space–Earth environmental footprint
4. Design market-based mechanisms (e.g., orbital debris credits, insurance models) to incentivize responsible satellite design)
5. Proposing business models that support the adoption of sustainable satellite technologies (e.g., licensing, spin-offs, service models)

6. Creating go-to-market strategies, stakeholder engagement plans, or policy frameworks that promote long-term orbital sustainability

Solutions may be technical, economic, regulatory, interdisciplinary, or a combination of these approaches.

Who Can Participate?
• Students and research staff (junior or senior) from all disciplines at De-TECH partner universities
• No specific field required — all backgrounds are welcome
• Travel and accommodation are covered for winning teams
• Teams of three members.
• Gender diversity within the team is positively evaluated during selection

How It Works
1. Form a team of three participants (students or research staff).
2. Choose a topic from the challenge.
3. Develop a solution concept freely and creatively:
4. Submit your solution in PDF format by 3 November 2025, 23:59 CET to de-tech@ite.uni-hannover.de
5. Jury selects the best teams -> Winners go to Istanbul

The application period is now open for companies wishing to participate in the aerospace technology challenge as part of the European technology project De-TECH

The application period is now open for companies wishing to participate in the aerospace technology challenge as part of the European technology project De-TECH

The call is now open for companies in the aerospace sector and related fields to submit their proposals to the De-TECH Innovation Tech Challenge 2025, an initiative funded by the European Union under the EIT Higher Education Initiative. The aim is to strengthen collaboration between industry and academia by connecting real technological challenges with interdisciplinary student teams from across Europe.

The project is led by a consortium of prestigious universities —the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), the Estonian Business School (EBS), the Istanbul Technical University (ITU), and the Leibniz University Hannover (LUH)— which will facilitate the connection between companies and innovative young talent.

The so-called Tech Challenges are concrete problems proposed by companies in the sector, linked to current technological or innovation-related difficulties. In this edition, the challenges must be focused on the aerospace field or related sectors, be open to creative and interdisciplinary approaches, and respond to real needs in the market or in research. These challenges will be addressed by international student teams who will work over several months to develop innovative solution concepts.

Participation offers multiple benefits for companies: access to fresh ideas and new perspectives from young European talent, connection with leading universities, tailored early-stage solution concepts, and visibility within an international knowledge-exchange context.

The participation process is straightforward. First, companies submit a short description of their Tech Challenge through the designated application form. The most relevant challenges will then be selected. Student teams will choose one of the selected challenges and begin developing solution proposals. Finally, the best teams will be invited to present and refine their ideas at an international workshop to be held in Istanbul in December 2025. At that stage, companies will have the opportunity to further engage with the students and explore the potential implementation of the proposed solutions.

Companies from the aerospace sector interested in participating in the 2025 edition are encouraged to submit their proposals through the ONLINE FORM

What is the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Consortium?

The Deep Tech European Venture Builder Consortium is coordinated by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and includes the Estonian Business School, Istanbul Technical University, and Leibniz University Hannover. The consortium also includes two industrial partners: Technoport, a high-tech incubator based in Luxembourg, and Effectia, an innovation consultancy from Spain. Additionally, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality participates as a public sector partner.

The European Union funds the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025 through the EIT HEI Initiative. It is structured around four key pillars to bring university-based innovations to market:

• Identify promising technologies developed at the partner universities through collaboration with their Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs), and assess their market potential.
• Launch innovation challenges that connect universities and companies with real-world needs, promoting creative and entrepreneurial thinking among students and researchers.
• Run the De-TECH competition, supported by an intensive start-up acceleration programme that includes training, mentoring, and financial assistance. Winning projects will receive funding and present their ideas to investors at DemoDay events.
• Deliver training in entrepreneurial and technological skills for students, researchers, and university staff, aiming to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and equip participants with the tools they need to lead innovation.