© Airbus Fly Your Ideas
51 teams of young innovators selected for round two of Fly Your Ideas global challenge
03 January 2019
Fifty-one international student teams are still in the competition for Round 2 of Airbus’ sixth Fly Your Ideas global challenge. The biennal competition is a celebration of creativity and innovation to solve real industry challenges, organized in partnership with UNESCO. Students were invited to innovate in six key areas covering electrification, data services, cyber security, internet of things, artificial intelligence and mixed reality.
The teams involving 179 students representing 47 nationalities from 66 universities developed ideas which included solutions for surveillance drones, alternative power generation, ground-breaking in-flight entertainment systems and many others.
The shortlisted teams have three months to mature their ideas with the support of Airbus mentors and aerospace experts before up to six finalists are chosen. Finalist teams will compete for a share of the €45,000 prize and the chance to take their idea forward within the aerospace industry. Teams will share project updates, photos, sketches and stories using #flyyourideas and will be captured on the social wall on the Fly Your Ideas website.
Open to university teams from across the world, including all disciplines from engineering and information technology to marketing and design, the competition is an opportunity for students to unleash their pioneering spirit, working at the cutting edge of digital technology alongside industry experts.
Diversity is an essential driver for innovation. For this second round, although the majority of participants study subjects such as engineering, information technology, nanotechnology or telecommunications, 7 out of 10 teams include mixed nationalities, genders, profiles or disciplines. Countries which are represented for the first time in Round 2 include Ghana, Kazakhstan, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.