- An international meeting to boost sustainable education, technological innovation and youth cooperation
- Students from Spain, Belgium and Switzerland build sustainable demonstrators strengthening skills such as collaboration, creativity and communication in an intercultural environment
Brussels, 07/05/2025. The Finnova Foundation hosted on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 May at its headquarters in Brussels the International Student Academy of the European project Edudemos, – Sustainability and digitalization in modern education, which aims to foster digital skills among students, while promoting environmental awareness and sustainability. This international event brought together students of vocational training in computer science and technology from Spain, Belgium and Switzerland, who actively participated in a learning experience based on collaborative work, sustainable innovation and cultural exchange.
The official opening was led by Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Finnova, who welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of empowering new generations through environmental education, green entrepreneurship and digitalisation. Then, the project coordinators put into context the mission of Edudemos: to promote more sustainable, inclusive and connected educational models with the current challenges of the planet.
During the first day, the students, organised into 13 international teams of three members each, began the collaborative assembly of the sustainable demonstrators developed within the framework of the project. These devices, based on renewable energy sources such as water, sun and wind, served as a platform to apply technical knowledge through practice. Accompanied by detailed guides, participants built the models step by step, also integrating activities such as the ‘Activity with the Turtle’, which added a didactic and playful dimension to the process.
This exercise had not only a technical component, but also a formative one at the human level. The experience fostered key skills such as problem solving, teamwork and intercultural communication, in an environment marked by collaboration and enthusiasm. The development of the activity was supported by a structured 3XL programme, designed to provide guidance to both trainers and students, ensuring a clear and enriching educational experience adapted to an international context.
The programme also included speeches by experts, such as the keynote address by Dirk Paelinck, President of the European Proptech Association, who presented an innovative vision on the impact of the real estate and construction sectors on the environment. He highlighted the role that technology can play in reducing the ecological footprint of these sectors and encouraged young people to think of creative solutions through education.
The second day of the event started with a workshop on the Internet of Things (IoT) by Edudemos partner school GBS St.Gallen. Ueli Niederer, a teacher at the school, reviewed the beginnings and history of the Internet of Things and gave a detailed explanation of what it is now and how it works today. The talk was followed by an IoT activity for the students. Afterwards, they went on to set up the demonstrators.
After the lunch break, an assessment was made of the results obtained during the days of the event. The Sergio Alonso Foundation brought the International Student Academy to a close by praising the work carried out during these days and stressing the importance of continuing to educate young people in the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies. Afterwards, diplomas were awarded to the students who attended the event, in recognition of the knowledge acquired during the two days.
About Edudemos
EduDemoS is an educational innovation project designed to promote a pedagogical model in which young people and teachers across Europe become actively involved in the fight against climate change. It aims to develop digital and sustainability competences in European students, preparing them to contribute to a greener and more environmentally committed Europe. Led by the foundation Technik macht Spaß – Gerda Stetter Stiftung in cooperation with FINNOVA, the Sergio Alonso Foundation, IES EL RINCÓN and GBS St.Gallen, the project has a funding of 250,000 euros and a duration of 21 months. EDUDEMOS aims to provide sufficient knowledge and educational resources to enable students from participating schools to develop sustainable models and projects, namely small windmills and systems capable of collecting solar energy and water. Once these models have been developed, all the information will be compiled in 3 different guides describing the development process step by step, which will make it easier for other schools to replicate the sustainable models and contribute to their multiplication.
About Finnova Foundation
The Finnovaregio Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the European Union. Finnova supports transformation projects in the education and business sectors by promoting sustainability and digitalisation, contributing its experience and resources to initiatives such as EduDemoS. This event reaffirms the commitment of European institutions to advanced, sustainable and digitised education, building a bridge to a more connected and environmentally conscious future.