About The Challenge
About The Challenge
SCHEDULE
The physical event will take place in Aachen and online (kick off event + working sessions at the Invention Center) as well as Herzogenrath
(final event). Remote participation is also possible. Mentors and experts will be available online and offline to guide the teams through the ideation process and solution development.
The physical event will take place in Aachen (kick off event + working sessions at the Invention Center) as well as at the Saint-Gobain site in Herzogenrath (final event). Remote participation is possible for the complete event (via Microsoft Teams). Mentors and experts will be available online and offline to guide the teams through the ideation process and solution development.
The 2023 Challenge
Saint-Gobain Sekurit is already active in making automotive glazing more sustainable. But how to make our industry
more circular?
The 2023 Challenge
Saint-Gobain Sekurit is already active in making automotive glazing more sustainable. But how to make our industry more circular?
Prizes
The best submissions will be invited to the Saint-Gobain Research Center Germany. The winners will get the chance to further develop their concepts together with our experts.
All participants who have submitted an accepted concept will receive a certificate of participation and a goodie bag.
1st prize
2 000 €
2nd prize
1 000 €
3rd prize
500 €
1st prize
2 000 €
2nd prize
1 000 €
3rd prize
500 €
Jury and Idea Evaluation
The jury will consist of a team of interdisciplinary experts and leaders inside and outside Saint-Gobain. The jury will be announced here shortly.
Novelty and disruptiveness of the idea
How potentially disruptive and “out-of-the-box” is the idea in the business?
Analogies from other business sectors are welcome!
Sustainable impact
What is the impact in terms of sustainability?
As this is sometimes not a simple question, our experts will help you answer that.
Feasibility
Could this idea be realized in Saint-Gobain or with an external partner?
Is it feasible in the short-term, mid-term or long-term?
Pitch/Presentation of the idea
Ideas live and die with the way they are presented.
This is why we also reward the way you pitch your idea!
Jury and Idea Evaluation
The jury will consist of a team of interdisciplinary experts (sustainability, circular economy, glass technology, supply chain and logistics)
Novelty and disruptiveness of the idea
How potentially interruptive is the idea in the business?
Analogies from other business sectors are welcome!
Sustainable impact
What is the impact in terms of sustainability?
As this is sometimes not a simple question, our experts will help you answer that.
Feasibility
Could this idea be realized in Saint-Gobain or with an external partner?
Pitch/Presentation of the idea
Ideas live and die with the way they are presented.
This is why we also reward the way you pitch your idea!
Apply Now!
You can apply to participate in the event online or on sight and in person on the Student Circular Economy Challenge website.
Please note that application is mandatory for participation.
Glazing Value Loop
Birth: Float glass process and shaping
Glazing is born in a float glass furnace. Already now, it is made out of roughly 30% of glass cullet. We want to increase that percentage!
After being cut into shape, glass is being bent into the final geometry. Laminated glass is only complete when a PVB sheet is sandwiched between two glass panes.
Challenges and opportunities
Being laminated is great. It protects both passengers and outsiders. But unfortunately it also makes the separation of glass from PVB quite difficult.
The glazing of the future should combine the safety of laminates while being easy to dismantle.
Premature Death:
Stone chipping and glass replacement
As tough as glass can be, sometimes a stone comes flying and damages it irreparably. Especially windshields are then replaced by the partners of Sekurit Service.
Already now Sekurit Service and their partners are working on ways to return broken windshields to Saint-Gobain by using reverse logistics.
Challenges and opportunities
In Germany alone, roughly 2 million windshields are replaced each year. A business model that incentivizes a closed-loop is needed!
An efficient supply chain and return logistics is needed to make use of that potential.
End of Life:
Car dismantling/shredding
If a car is no longer usable or desired by its owner, it will typically be sold or recycled for parts.
A car has roughly 30 kg of glass. In Germany, 400000 cars are recycled per year and 1.75 Million cars are being sold inside the EU. As a consequence, other countries see a lot more „end of life“ – France for example 1.8 Million cars per year!
Challenges and opportunities
Glazing is not valuable enough (for dismantlers/shredding companies) to be recovered either during dismantling or shredding of a car. Glass is in consequence often landfilled.
We need a business model that makes the return of end of life glass back to glass manufacturers attractive.
Due to its relative low value and weight compared to the metal parts, removing glass from end of life vehicles must be efficient and fast. To facilitate the recycling of a car’s glass components (windshield, sidelites, backlite), we’re looking for an easy way to disassemble the entire set when the car is no longer functional.
Resources
Legal Terms
All participants must carefully read the competition Legal Terms & Copyright Agreement before registration.
Legal Terms
All participants must carefully read the competition Legal Terms & Copyright Agreement before registration.