TU Dublin Huawei Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge poster exhibition & awards
TU Dublin Huawei Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge Poster Presentation & Awards
The Huawei Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge exhibition and awards ceremony took place at TU Dublin on December 10th. TU Dublin was delighted to welcome Huawei representatives to evaluate final projects and award prizes to the top teams.
Congratulations to the 175 students from the School of Marketing and Entrepreneurship and the School of Management, People and Organisations and exchange students from EM Normandie who showcased their innovative business cases focused on Solar/VP solutions.
This event is the culmination of the Enterprise Challenge which students have been working on for the last three months. These students, including 3rd-year BSc in Marketing, final-year BSc in Business and Law, BSc in Business and Management, and EM Normandie exchange students, have developed their work in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking at the event today, Luke McDonnell, Head of PR at Huawei Ireland said:
"Huawei is proud to partner with TU Dublin to deliver this challenge because it addresses an important issue and more importantly it shows how innovative digital technologies will play a central role in tackling climate change. It is through industry-academic partnerships like this that we bridge the gap between what students learn in the classroom and the skills they’ll need in the workforce, opening doors for their future.”
The Huawei judging panel Derek Collins, Director of Research Collaboration & Innovation, Huawei European Research Institute; David Smith, Head of Ecosystems Development - Service Provider Operations Lab, Huawei Ireland Research Centre; Philip Comerford, Lead AI Business Research, Huawei Ireland Research Centre; Luke McDonnell, Head of PR, Huawei Ireland and Baolin Liang, Public Affairs Manager, Huawei Ireland reviewing the Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge exhibition.
The Award Winning Teams
Prizes were presented to the following projects:
- 1st Prize: Hospitals – The Sunshine Cure Charlie O’Donnoghue, James Coffey, Darragh Fee, Jack Tracey and Ronan Barry
- Joint 2nd Prize: Dairy – Powering Ireland's Dairy Future Alessia Aprile, Anna Brophy, Amie Cullinane and Isabelle Dunn
- Joint 2nd Prize: Retail – Applications of Solar Aisling Cleere, Amy Cusack, Charley Reynolds, Ella McGarry and Aimee McMorrow
- Commendation: Dairy – Let’s Milk This Karen Cleary, Lorana O’Reilly, Seana Hogan, Lisa Kelly, and Karishma Prause
- Commendation: Food processing Liam Walsh, Niall Sterritt, Shane Walsh, Elena Olaru and Steven Golovin
Brokering university enterprise collaborations
Through the Enterprise Academy, the necessary connections were established between Huawei and TU Dublin's Dr. Lesley Murphy and Dr. Ciarán O'Carroll and the School of Marketing and Entrepreneurship and the School of Management, People and Organisations. The Business Sustainability module, which aligned with Huawei's goals, was as the ideal vehicle to launch the TU Dublin Huawei Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge. Discussing the collaboration Dr. Lesley Murphy, Lecturer, School of Marketing and Entrepreneurship said:
“I have really enjoyed collaborating with my colleague Dr Ciarán O’Carroll, representatives in Huawei and the Enterprise Academy team to create a real world challenge for our students to learn from, and I think it’s a lovely example of us working at the intersection of theory and practice to create work-ready graduates.
The Enterprise Academy is a brilliant vehicle for TU Dublin to develop and deepen industry partnerships. What encourages me is that our students will now be hitting the workplace with a greater understanding of sustainability issues within industries / organisations and how selling organisations such as Huawei can provide value added solutions.”
About the TU Dublin Huawei Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge
The Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge offers hands-on experience, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and practical skills. Huawei's insights on sustainability leadership, real-world challenges, and innovative solutions inspired students to think creatively about their business solutions while developing their work in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These students, including 3rd-year BSc in Marketing, final-year BSc in Business and Law, BSc in Business and Management, and EM Normandie exchange students.
The partnership with Huawei has provided learners with invaluable benefits, from gaining a better understanding of energy evolution and transformation to enhancing their CVs, to receiving mentorship and insights from industry experts. Those involved in the Business Sustainability Enterprise Challenge are going have greatly benefited from researching and designing solutions based on a real industry challenge with a global industry. They will be more prepared to bring those skills forward into their future careers and help Ireland meet its carbon reduction targets.
The importance of challenge-based learning
Enterprise Challenges are designed to work in conjunction with enterprise partners on real and urgent problems. Students will have learned about the importance of technology, economic balance in terms of making a business case, societal impact of technology and what we can do to enhance sustainability.
Reflecting on the importance of university/industry partnerships, head of the Enterprise Academy, Dr. Claire Mc Bride said: “The Challenge-Based Pedagogy project, spearheaded by our team at the Enterprise Academy in partnership with Huawei, showcases the transformative power of learning collaborations. By harnessing the potential of PV/battery technology, 175 passionate learners, under the expert guidance of faculty, conducted a critical analysis demonstrating how enterprises can champion environmental sustainability in conjunction with economic viability. This project highlights the huge potential of our future talent pipeline in driving a sustainable and prosperous future.”
About the Enterprise Academy
The Enterprise Academy is funded by the Higher Education Authority's HCI Pillar 3, a government programme designed to meet priority skills needs, by increasing collaboration between higher education and enterprise with a focus on innovations in teaching and learning.
