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Did you know that 50 million temperature data loggers are produced every year? And that 80% of them are thrown away while most components are reusable? Blue Iceberg is changing that with a circular recovery network for these devices, and their concept and pitch convinced the jury to award them the Grand Prize.

The members of Blue Iceberg emphasized the value of personal connections with coaches and partners during the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø Contest, which contributed to their professional and personal growth. They also appreciated “sharing insights with other teams working on healthcare (…) and we are sure this network will continue to support the future development of our Blue Iceberg project.

The jury faced a challenging decision in selecting the top three from ten finalists, yet they were unanimous in their praise for all participants. Kati Brock (Strategic Planner & Program Manager (Digital) Services at DAF) observed that teams addressed highly relevant topics, using AI as an enabler rather than a standalone solution. She also commended the students' authenticity:

You are entrepreneurs, not just doing a project trying to make money, congratulations on that entrepreneurial mindset.

Kati Brock​ from DAF, jurymember of the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø Contest Finals 2026

Suleman Audu highlighted how teams had put end-user needs at the heart of their solutions rather than leading with technology. Bas Verkaik, ELEO's co-founder and participant in the first edition of the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø Contest, was impressed by the students' commitment to societal challenges and noted that the ecosystem of the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø Contest has matured significantly over the years. Last but not least, Victor Sánchez Martín added that he would love to get in a time machine to make use of an network like this while studying.

THE LEARNING TRAJECTORY CONTINUES

The 12th edition of the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø Contest welcomed a record 190 participants in the extra-currcular program that lasted from February to June. The development of entrepreneurial skills and projects will continue, with ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø innovation Space and ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø Knowledge Transfer Office assisting students in their next steps.

Special guest Laure van der Sanden (co-founder of ARTIC Technologies) concluded her inspirational talk with a call to make full use of the network ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø has to offer:

Apart from going out into the market and understanding what your customers are looking for, surround yourself with fellow entrepreneurs and look for people that can help you.

She emphasized it is important to seek experts specialized in your field for accounting, legal advice, personnel administration, and so on. You might think you don't need these people in the beginning, but that is going to cost you dearly further down the road.

Thank you to all participants, coaches, partners, and jury members for enriching the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø Contest ecosystem. See you next year!