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