InnoBlog: Solving real-life challenges from big energy industry players

My team was composed of six second-year EIT InnoEnergy Master’s students. We had been matched up using the GC Index, an assessment tool which identifies individuals’ proclivities and strengths. Used by a large number of big corporates such as BCG, Engie, PWC, the GC Index allows teams and companies to improve their productivity, enabling a game-changing impact.

Many of us had never met before and were studying in different universities so we were scattered all over Europe! Therefore, we began our team building with icebreaker activities and even made our own Spotify playlist to get into the challenges mode.

Leading energy companies participated in the event to offer their challenges such as:

Enel, Italian multinational energy company, proposed value creation from B2B data.

Smart Innovation Norway, a company practicing independent, applied research within the fields of renewable energy and information technology, proposed designing unique business models for low-carbon communities with multi-energy systems of the E-Land project.

McKinsey Energy Insights, a global leader in energy intelligence and analytics, asked the question: will the current pandemic have a long-term impact on the energy transition?

I was assigned the McKinsey Energy Insights challenge. It was exciting for me to work on such a relevant issue in current events - after all the post COVID-19 recovery is a question on everyone’s minds.

My team jumped in, beginning by researching the background and the context. Next, we investigated the effects of COVID-induced behavioural changes and analysed the governmental responses of resilient countries. The latter took the form of economic stimulus packages.

It was interesting to see that across the board, these economic stimulus packages were largely focused on the energy transition: we saw a significant focus on EVs, hydrogen, and energy efficiency. From these analyses, we were able to outline recommendations for actions to be taken by oil and gas companies.

For me, it was my first time participating in a virtual hackathon, but I was surprised with how seamlessly activities were carried out. A big shout out to our Career Center and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make it happen!

Collaborating with fellow EIT InnoEnergy students from all over the world who are passionate to solve today’s energy challenges, applying my classroom knowledge (from ESADE business school to my technical skills) to real-world issues before even graduating was a very rewarding learning experience!

by Emilia Chojkiewicz, Master's in Smart Electrical Networks and Systems student