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Three days to develop innovative and viable solutions, on an international company scale

Around forty students from HE-Arc Neuchâtel will for the first time come to tackle a genuine technological challenge on 22 and 23 of August, plus 3 September for the presentation. The aim of the exercise? To move outside the academic framework, for sure, but above all to learn to consider some of the challenges that companies such as Tornos face. Throughout this challenge, they must demonstrate a spirit of initiative, creativity or even daring and inventiveness, while developing their group management skills. Those able to propose an appropriate solution will be rewarded.

Last year, Tornos created a centre of excellence dedicated to precision, in the old Junker Factory. Among other things, it comprises an independent incubator dubbed i-moutier. This innovative governing structure has in particular set itself the mission of attracting talent by creating a unique concept and an environment fostering the development of new designs and concepts to help ensure the future of our region.

This is the backdrop against which the Industrial Design Engineering students from HE-Arc will get their teeth into the task next week. So what's on the menu? Three technological challenges which will be revealed to them on the first day.

First, the students will discover the company. Once they have been issued with the challenge, they will then literally be able to "get hands on". The solutions designed must be reliable, upgradeable and universal. They may draw on various sources, in the same vein as for their studies, taking inspiration from various fields and industries. Following these first two days in the company, the students will still have around ten days to develop their ideas and work on their design. Tornos will host them again on 3 September to exhibit their work to a jury, which after deliberation, will deliver its verdicts and comments.

In this way, the incubator i-moutier generates some competition while remaining true to its essential philosophy, at the heart of the micro-technology market. It continues to give young people the opportunity to work on concrete projects for industries in the region.