Energy of the future:
heat & mobility

INTRO

Acinque, with the support of Tondo, will organise a hackathon in the second half of November 2024.

The hackathon will actively involve the 5th-year students of the main Monza schools, who will have the opportunity to confront different challenges and develop a concrete project.
The event will take place at the Acinque headquarters in Monza.

Purpose


Innovation and creativity

Presenting projects related to the topic of electric mobility and district heating at different levels to encourage the emergence of innovative activities that have a positive impact on the local system and bring out creativity and inventiveness


Knowledge and training

To make Acinque’s commitment to the territory known and to disseminate key sustainability concepts within schools, among students, that can generate a cultural change. The hackathon will also foster professional growth as it will allow students to take an active part in a company project


Ecosystem

Broaden and connect the ecosystem of Acinque in the territory of Monza by facilitating the interaction between Acinque sector experts and students, with particular reference to STEM profiles, thus shortening the distance between the school world and the world of work


Whom it is addressed to

The hackathon is aimed at 5th-grade students from the main schools in Monza. It will be possible to apply as a team or individually, eventually indicating a project proposal.

Thematic areas

The hackathon is designed to give rise to and realise sustainable projects that exploit the opportunities arising from new technologies in the energy field. The event includes two challenges on which students will be able to work to develop a project: Electric Mobility 2.0 and District Heating.
Each group of students will be able to tackle only one challenge

Challenge 1 – ELECTRIC Mobility 2.0

The main issues related to this topic concern, on the one hand, the control of parking spaces reserved for electric vehicles, which are occupied abusively by cars with traditional motors. On the other hand, the fragmented management of information on different means of transport (electric cars, car sharing, e-bikes, etc.) requires the creation of a single system integrating all services, facilitating users in planning their journeys.

How can existing infrastructures be upgraded to favour a more efficient management of flows and parking states?

How can the management of information and data from the different means of transport be optimised so that users can manage their journeys more easily and efficiently?

Challenge 2 – District Heating, recovering energy to heat and cool cities

A crucial part of this issue concerns the conversion of existing plants to systems with an increasing prevalence of renewable energy sources. However, this entails more complex technological challenges, high transition costs and risks of loss of energy reliability. Furthermore, to make district heating even more efficient, further innovation is needed, optimising heat distribution in a safe way and minimising renewable energy losses.

How can the architecture of the Monza district heating pole be converted to a fossil fuel-free energy production system?

Which of the three district heating macro-areas can be most affected by recent and very recent technological innovations?

Main Hackathon activities

INSIGHTS

In-depth analysis of
challenge topics

PITCH

Pitching session
of project ideas

MENTORING

Support for teams in refining
the project







Welcome session: institutional greetings; presentation of the day’s aims and objectives; explanation of the challenges and programme

Project development:
students can start working on their projects


Mentoring/tutoring sessions: opportunities for students to learn more about the challenges and improve their projects thanks to Tondo and Acinque mentors

Projects and pitch preparation


•Mentoring/tutoring sessions: an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the challenge topics and improve their projects thanks to Tondo tutors and Acinque mentors

•Project refinement and pitch preparation


Pitching session and Award Ceremony:
the teams will have a maximum of 5 minutes each to present their project idea pitches in front of the Acinque jury. The winning teams for each challenge will then be announced

Conclusion of work


Supervision

To prevent the occurrence or possibility of the occurrence of harmful events towards the students, one or more professors from each Upper School involved in the hackathon will be responsible for their underage students during the two days. The teachers will be in charge of supervising the students’ activities, ensuring that all safety and behavioural regulations are respected


Jury and Awards

A jury composed of Acinque members will select the winning projects of the hackathon, one for each challenge. The winning teams will be awarded a voucher as a prize

How to apply

WEBSITE

Since October, a dedicated page on the Tondo website will provide essential information about the hackathon.

FORM ONLINE

To apply, schools will have to fill in an online form in its entirety.

RULES

Before applying, it is advisable to read the rules and regulations, which contain information on how the hackathon is run, how to participate, the choice of winners and intellectual property rights.