Grundfos hosted a first-ever US competition to give business and engineering students the opportunity to design solutions for managing the world’s scarce water resources.
The Grundfos Challenge took place 15-16 November at the company’s facility in Olathe, Kansas US, while other regional events occurred simultaneously at Grundfos facilities in Denmark and China.
Each team developed a plan to reduce overall water consumption, decrease the energy needed to transport and purify water, increase the reliability of water networks, and shrink the cost of handling and using water.
The students competed against teams from other universities to turn theoretical knowledge into a practical business strategy that was supported by sound engineering schematics. A test of talent, ingenuity and teamwork, the Challenge provided participants with an important platform for innovation.
Two business teams and two engineering teams were chosen to represent the US in a global competition in Denmark, Grundfos’ home country, in March 2013 for a weeklong final competition against their Chinese and Danish counterparts.
The teams were judged on strategic focus and technical or business acumen by panels of internal and external experts.
The Challenge began in Bjerringbro, Denmark in 2006 to highlight the importance of cooperation between the business community and educational institutions.