Press Releases

Student competition seeks to solve Brussels’ traffic congestion problem

Students from 10 Eurasian countries (Belgium, France, Italy, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia and the UK) participated in the online competition jointly organised by JA Europe and ExxonMobil.

“The Sci-Tech Challenge has a dual aim. While it encourages young Europeans to use and develop their STEM knowledge by trying to solve real-world issues, it also intends to develop their entrepreneurial mindset and spur their innovative skills,” says Caroline Jenner, CEO of JA Europe.

“In ExxonMobil we believe that the key to the world's energy challenges lies in technology and innovation. The future of transport is one of the key European policy issues and Brussels traffic a prime example. With this year’s Sci-Tech challenge we want to tap into the innovative thinking of the next generation on this topic”, says Nikolaas Baeckelmans, VP EU Affairs of ExxonMobil in Europe.

The jury, composed of Mathias Dobbels from Brussels Minister of Mobility, Pablo Garcia from s3innovation, Nikolaas Baeckelmans from ExxonMobil, Jarle Tommerbakke from the EE-HUB and Malcolm McDowell from the European Commission, selected the best three teams to compete in the European Finale. Students from Belgium, Romania and the UK were chosen based on their outstanding innovative idea, excellent presentation skills and team spirit. Offering alternative ways of transportation, the three top solutions stood out for their optimal combination of feasibility, cost efficiency, and quick implementation. They deployed an integrated mix of technology whilst reducing cars in the city.

On 25 May, the European Grand Finale hosted by MEP Adina-Ioana Valean at the European Parliament in Brussels will reveal the winning team, in presence of the best three teams, business representatives and policy-makers.

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About JA Europe

JA Europe is Europe’s largest provider of education programmes for entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy. In 2015 we equipped 3.5 million students in 39 countries with the knowledge, skills and attitude they require to start a business or get a job. 

JA works with the education and business communities as well as governments to provide young people from primary school to university with experiences that build the skills and competences they will need to succeed in a global economy. JA Europe is the European Regional Operating Centre for JA Worldwide®.

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources and is one of the world’s largest integrated refiners, marketers of petroleum products and chemical manufacturers. 

For more information please contact:

Mathilde Poncelet
Policy & Communications, JA Europe
mathilde@jaeurope.org

Siri Tjelta
ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS
+47 51 60 69 80
siri.tjelta@exxonmobil.com