Members: Natalia Burlaga, Adam Grzywaczyk, Oliwia Degórska and Branislav Trudić.

Challenge: With 400 million tons of plastic waste and 1.3 billion tons of food waste generated annually, our planet faces an escalating environmental crisis, harming ecosystems, polluting air, and contaminating soil. How might we radically reduce plastic packaging in the food industry and eliminate pollution to increase food safety and safeguard our neighbourhoods and environment for future generations at the same time?

Members: Muhammed Oğuzhan Mete, Muhammed Yahya Bıyık, Alp Eren Filiz and Zafer Talha Uşi.

Challenge: Building operations represent 28% of total global carbon emissions, contributing significantly to climate change. Urban settlement areas are projected to increase more than threefold and be responsible for over 75% of global carbon emissions by 2050. The goal of “Carbon Neutrality” is an essential global agenda to protect the earth and overcome the climate change crisis. It is vital to take strict actions to mitigate carbon emissions.

Members: Robert Zapciu, Alessio Beșleagă, Mihnea Ionescu, Radu Angelescu, Andreea Ciobanu, Andreea Zinca and Elena Răducanu.

Challenge: Our cities face escalating challenges related to climate, mobility, and pollution. Vulnerable communities, comprising 45% of the population, lack the tools to communicate their needs and access essential information to live healthy lives in dense urban areas.

Members:  Peteris Teodors Skrastins, Reinis Survila, Nikita Travins and Kristaps Grava.

Challenge: Due to a lack of standardization, batteries of micro mobility vehicles(e-bikes, e-scooters, etc.) aren’t being fully utilized during their lifetime and aren’t being recycled at the end of it.

Members: Sedat Arıtürk, Mehmet Efe Göktürk, Berke Kıroğulları, Kaan Cem Çabuker, Prof. Dr. Ercan Ertürk and Assoc Prof. Mehmet Göktürk.

Challenge: Global warming and urbanization are taking their toll more and more. With increased city temperatures, existing energy based cooling solutions further increase overall city temperatures. Absorption due to irreflectivity and energy usage are major causes of so called “urban heat islands”.

Members: Karolina Mikna, Orestas Nastulevičius, Kęstutis Bražinskas and Voicu Dragomir.

Challenge: Schools in Lithuania are wasting 12-20% of food. How might we help them leverage food waste to save finances and resources, with which students, teachers, and staff could get better, more nutritious food and make a smaller CO2 footprint? About this food waste problem in schools, many people don’t even know and awareness needs to be spread.

Members: Elias Ibnoussina, Lou Devos, Jacqueline Gabel, Petr Musil, Professor Vasilis Kanakoudis and Dr. Rohat Gültekin.

Challenge: Belgium’s agricultural sector faces severe water scarcity, with 46% of water resources consumed by agriculture. Despite 200 days of rain per year, 50% of Belgian land experiences drought in summer.

Members: Panagiotis Petropoulos, Panagiota Stamatelopoulou, Nikolaos Zapantiotis and Ippokratis Tsevrenis.

Challenge: Greece has been the country with the highest heat-related mortality per million of inhabitants across 35 european countries in 2023. How can we deploy cost-effective nature-based solutions to contribute to the adaptation of the city of Athens to the amplifying effects of the Urban Heat Island in light of the climate crisis, and address energy poverty issues for the most vulnerable households?

Members: Zusia Meissner, Alexandra Groszek, Agnieszka Szostok, Ala Seralafin, Michał Kurczak, David McKechnie and Jakub Kulesza.

Challenge: Agricultural producers need a community wastewater management system to provide clean local water and energy supply.

Members: Alina Radu, Hadia Yaseen, Kitti Králl and Bintang Alam Semesta.

Challenge: From WHO, there are over 3 million poisonings and 220,000 deaths each year. On top of that, our survey results are 8 out of 10 respondents are concerned with the pesticide in food. On top of that, 96.4% more likely inclined to purchase the test paper and test it at home. Then, how do we develop practical solution kit to detect to the chemical residual level on foods so that we could ease serious health hazards as well as ensure food safety for common people?

Members: Valeria Pramatarova, PhD Vilyana Ruseva, Nia Obretenova, Niya Slavova and Sofia Sajko

Challenge: Only 9% of all the plastic waste generated globally is recycled. What do we do to make that number go up?

Members: Nick Vuolo, Gustavo Chiquín, Monica Salvia, Carlien Donkor and Agnese Bavuso Marone.

Challenge: Urban areas in Italy’s regions are increasingly vulnerable to floods due to climate change. From 2013 to 2019, Lombardy faced €422.9 million in flood damages, with Milan enterprises losing €8 million annually. What flood adaptation solution can protect businesses, infrastructure, mobility, and citizens while preserving environmental health in Milan?

Members: Luka Cavaliere Lokas, Frano Rihter, Vlaho Biličić and Albert Rexhepaj.

Challenge: Floods occurring due to inadequate drainage systems and weak plans for mitigation. This problem ranges from minor disruptions to devastating disasters. Floods cause more than €6,250 billion losses in the EU and almost 140 lives are lost annually. Our goal is to build a machine learning model that is flexible enough to provide adequate solution for every form of flooding.

Members: Emanuel Opingari, Sefeda Lazaj, Aulona Veizi, Eriselda Kullolli, Ledjan Paja, Arjol THomaraj, Esmeralda Kapaj, Dr Pjerin Preka and Prof. Dr. Fran Gjoka.

Challenge: The Ministry of Agriculture subsidizes around 1.5 million euros every year for farmers affected by climate change (such as hail, drought, diseases and viruses, etc.); approximately 200,000 farmers are harmed every year. The establishment of an Agricultural Information Center will provide climate data and cultivation techniques, reducing dependence on subsidies, improving productivity and sustainability, and improving rural life through advanced technologies and sustainable practices.