Maritime Student Challenge

Timeframe

2019 - 2024 (ongoing, annual event)

Role

As a programme designer, innovation coach and trainer of education professionals, I played a key role in the development, implementation and supervision of the Maritime Student Challenge. Over the years, I contributed to the event's transformation from a physical event to a hybrid and online version during the COVID-19 pandemic, and educational programming that is now implemented in the regular educational process. In 2024, the focus was on training the programme team and coaches, as well as designing and delivering workshops for professionals so that they could implement the programme autonomously within mainstream education.

Purpose

The aim of the Maritime Student Challenge was and is to engage technical mbo students in real-life issues and necessary innovations in the maritime sector. The event offers students the opportunity to work in multidisciplinary teams on current challenges from leading companies in the sector. This initiative aims to get students excited about a career in the maritime industry, while giving them the opportunity to develop valuable skills relevant to their future careers.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Retrieve issues and develop real challenges in collaboration with maritime companies.
Advising on educational logistics and integral logistics of programming, both for physical and online events.
On the job mentoring to a team of coaches and facilitators during the event.
Design and implementation of workshops and training sessions for professionals in 2023 and 2024, aiming at self-reliance of educational institutions in implementing the programme.
Evaluation of results and collection of feedback from participants and partners to improve the programme annually.

Core Values in Practise

For example, during the Maritime Student Challenge 2023, a case study was set up by Feadship in which students were challenged to drastically reduce energy consumption on board superyachts without compromising the iconic design of these vessels. To do so, students had to work closely with technical experts and use advanced technologies such as solar energy and heat exchangers. This challenge required not only technical understanding, but also creative thinking and the ability to integrate solutions into an existing context without compromising aesthetics.

In another case study in collaboration with Van der Leun in 2022, students were tasked with designing an electrical installation using modern technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence. The team had to constantly communicate with different departments within the company, learning to process complex information and make decisions that combined different aspects of engineering and product development.

Another striking example is the question Royal IHC presented to students in 2023, in which they were challenged to automate a manufacturing process for custom-built ships. Here, it was important that students not only came up with technological solutions, but also paid attention to practical feasibility and how these innovations would be received by professionals on the shop floor.

Through these cases, students learned to take responsibility for their own learning, while at the same time learning to work under pressure and with respect for the wishes and requirements of the companies and end users. These challenges also made it necessary for the companies to be flexible and open to new ideas from young talent, which strengthened the cooperation between education and business.

Impact and Results

The programme has had a significant impact on both students and the maritime industry over the years. Students developed innovative solutions to complex maritime issues, which not only improved their technical skills but also strengthened their creative and problem-solving abilities. In addition, the programme led to strengthened partnerships between educational institutions and maritime companies, and positioned the maritime sector as an attractive career option for young professionals.

Learning moments

Partners have gained valuable insights on how to better collaborate with young talents and how to foster innovation in their organisations. Collaboration between companies and educational institutions has led to renewed insights into curriculum development and the importance of contextual learning. Some companies have even been bold enough to ask students what it would take to make their companies more attractive to increase the influx of young people and, more importantly, retain them as employees.

Skills developed by participants

- Design Thinking, Lean and Agile collaboration.
- Innovation coaching and iterative project management
- Development and implementation of hybrid and online learning environments
- Training and capacity building for education professionals
- Facilitating creative thinking and enhancing problem-solving skills

References

- Netherlands Maritime Technology
- Innovation Quarter
- Shipping and Transport College Rotterdam
- DaVinci College Drechtsteden
- Municipality of Dordrecht

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