In Week 41, 144 high school students from technical schools in Zealand will participate in the competition “Fehmarn Green Build & Construction Challenge.” The competition, developed by Lighthouse Fehmarn, aims to give the students an insight into the work involved in constructing the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel. During the competition, students will work on real cases within sustainable construction, Femern Belt Development writes in a press release.
Aiming to increase interest
The competition’s goal is to spark interest in construction and civil engineering education by presenting the students with cases based on Denmark’s largest infrastructure project. Through various tasks, the students are expected to develop innovative solutions related to the future of sustainable construction.
Site visit for better understanding
Ahead of the competition, students and teachers had the opportunity to visit the large construction site in Rødbyhavn, where work on the Fehmarn link is in full swing. This visit provided the young participants with insight into the project’s massive scale, which has generated great interest among them.
One participant, Alma Mosegaard Albretsen, a second-year student at the Technical High School in Nykøbing Falster, felt the visit made a significant difference:
– Before the trip to Rødbyhavn, I knew very little about the Fehmarn link. I knew they were building a tunnel, but I had no idea how big and complex the project is. I think it’ll be really exciting to work with cases from the Fehmarn link, and I believe diving into it will give a better understanding of how things are built in the real world, she said.
Six real-world cases
The competition, taking place in Week 41, will present participants with six concrete Fehmarn-related cases covering topics such as technical water management, digitalization, asphalt, artificial reefs, bio-based building materials, and noise barriers.
The students will work in groups and receive guidance from experts at Roskilde University (RUC), Zealand, and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
Per Munkholm, the principal at EUC Zealand, sees the competition as a perfect opportunity for students to combine theory with practice:
– The competition aligns perfectly with what HTX is all about, namely a combination of theory and practice. Here, they get the chance to test their theoretical knowledge by solving real-world problems focused on sustainability and innovation, which are also key topics in many of their subjects. HTX students are great at thinking outside the box because they’re not limited by real-world experience, and that can lead to lots of creativity and innovation, he said.
Finale at business conference
The competition’s finale will be held on October 10th at Engestofte Manor near Maribo, where two winning teams from each participating school will move on to present their solutions to a judging panel. The finale will coincide with a business conference where sustainable construction and mega-infrastructure will be on the agenda.
Obvious synergies
Jes Christiansen, project manager at Fehmarn Belt Development, sees strong synergies in combining the competition with the conference:
– There are obvious synergies in bringing students and businesses together. Companies get the chance to meet future talent. Who knows, maybe connections will be made with a new student assistant or a future employee. Companies also play a big role in attracting young people to the industry, he said.
