Challenge.on

Challenge

Finding well qualified experts is not an easy thing in the energy sector. For this reason E.ON puts high priority to guide the youth well in advance during their studies and to become an attractive employer.

Solution

In 2011, to comply with these goals we created the engineering competition series called Challenge.ON. The competition effectively targeted university students studying in technical fields, as hundreds of electrical, energy, mechatronics, and other engineering students applied annually.

In 2018, Challenge.ON took on the increasingly popular hackathon format. The idea competition allowed teams of 2-4 members, potentially from diverse fields such as economics, engineering, computer science, or design, to participate. Their task was to envision the energy-related solutions that consumers might use in the coming decades. The top 15 teams had the opportunity to develop their ideas in a 24-hour hackathon during the live finals.

In an unconventional move, the 2021 Challenge.ON was conducted entirely online. The competition began with two qualifying rounds, where electrical and mechatronics engineering teams tackled challenges in E.ON's virtual escape room. The top 6 teams then engaged in a professional debate during an online final to showcase their knowledge.

In 2022, participants were tasked with creating a renewable energy-community, showcasing their problem-solving skills. The final involved a TV game show-style competition.

The 2023 Challenge.ON focused on the theme "Future of Energy," specifically for electrical engineering students or recent graduates. The goal was for participants to experience and demonstrate how artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT technology can enhance the flexibility of electrical distribution networks.

The competition comprised three main rounds:

- Online Qualifiers: Teams participated in an online professional quiz to test their knowledge. The top 20 scoring teams advanced to the next round.

- Semi-Finals: The qualified teams presented their viewpoints and solutions in video format for a specific professional problem. A professional jury, consisting of E.ON leaders, evaluated these videos and selected the top 8 teams to advance to the finals.

- Live Finals in Budapest: The finalist teams engaged in a debate where they had to represent either the pro or con side on predetermined topics. The sides were revealed on the final day, and the live finals followed a single-elimination format, with the best debating team winning the competition.

The competition aimed to encourage participants to find creative and innovative technical solutions for the evolving challenges in electrical energy systems, with a particular focus on the application of AI and IoT technologies.

(Challenge.ON 2023 final)