51±ľÉ« is proud to announce the shortlisted projects for the UL Student Sustainability Challenge, a flagship initiative fostering student innovation and action in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Hosted by UL’s Centre for Sustainable Futures and Innovation (CSFI), the Challenge empowers students to develop real-world solutions to pressing environmental and social issues both on campus and off, contributing to the university’s mission of becoming a sustainable university by 2030.
The shortlisted projects showcase the creativity and commitment of UL’s student community, offering innovative approaches to sustainability across diverse fields such as nature and biodiversity, renewable tidal energy, renewable energy for sustainable agriculture, and corporate ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) discourse. Each project was selected from a competitive pool of applications and represents the very best of interdisciplinary collaboration, combining academic insight with practical impact.
The Shortlisted projects are:
- Tidal Energy Turbine Redesign with Biomimicry: Emilia Ziolek (B.S. Product Design and Technology) will be developing a prototype of a bladeless tidal energy turbine, inspired by the fluidity and net-like characteristics found in marine life, and designed to harness energy without harming aquatic ecosystems.
- Sustainable Agriculture IoT Sensors Powered by Hybrid Vibrational Energy Harvester (SAG-IoT-HVEH): PhD students Ibnu Taufan and Nouman Ghafoor (School of Engineering) are creating a prototype of a renewable energy source to power IoT sensors in agriculture using ambient vibrations from farm equipment such as water pumps and air compressors, potentially replacing more costly and environmentally harmful disposable batteries.
- Nature Signage on Campus: James Organ (B.S. Physical Education with Geography) and Karl Gilmartin (BS Immersive Software Engineering) spotted an opportunity to deepen appreciation and engagement with the natural environment by creating interpretation boards to highlight biodiversity throughout UL’s campus, complete with QR codes or NFC tags for further exploration.
- Manufacturing Complacency? The Effect of ESG Discourse on Climate Risk Perception: PhD students Keelan McMahon, Finn Lannon, and Emer Owens’ research project will investigate how corporate ESG communications influence public climate risk perceptions, aiming to improve transparency and policy action.
- Documentary Film Exploring Wildlife of UL: James Organ (B.S. Physical Education and Geography) will also produce a wildlife documentary to highlight native wildlife on UL’s campus including otters, kingfisher and House martins, while also addressing the impact of invasive species such as Giant hogweed and Himalayan Balsam on habitats.
Each shortlisted project will receive funding and access to expert mentorship to develop their ideas over the coming months. Their work will culminate in April 2025 during UL’s Research Week, where finalists will present their innovations to a panel of experts and the wider community.
Andrea Deverell, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Futures and Innovation and Chair of the shortlisting panel, highlighted the quality of student proposals received: "The calibre of applications we received this year was exceptional, making the selection process incredibly challenging. We are excited to see these five projects develop with the support of CSFI and expert mentors and are confident the prototypes, research, and resources created will not only benefit UL but will also have a meaningful impact on the wider community."
The Challenge is made possible through the generous support of sponsors Kirby Group Engineering and Bidvest Noonan, whose commitment to UL and sustainability is helping to inspire the next generation of innovators.
Jason Doherty, Head of Sustainability at Kirby Group Engineering says: “We are delighted to support the Student Sustainability Challenge as we recognise the importance of supporting and nurturing the next generation’s capacity to address global Sustainability challenges. It’s great to see the variety of projects shortlisted this year. They are targeting many aspects of sustainability, from renewable technology design to biodiversity awareness to sustainability communications. I look forward to seeing the results next April.”
For more information about the UL Student Sustainability Challenge and this year’s shortlisted projects, visit: /ul-student-sustainability-challenge-2024/25.