Marcel Schuttelaar jury chairman of Avebe Student Challenge
More than 60 Dutch students responded to Avebe's call to design the factory of the future. The assignment for the Student Challenge to celebrate Avebe's 100th anniversary was challenging: what if you could build a factory from scratch for Avebe? What techniques would you use to maximise the value of the ingredients in the potato, with minimal use of energy, water and chemistry?
An expert jury, chaired by Marcel Schuttelaar, judged the entries. Five were allowed to pitch their proposal. The level of the students made an impression. During the grand final on February 7, the audience voted to choose the final winner. The students from the winning team will all receive a year's tuition fee.
In addition, Marcel gave a key note speech about the next 10 years and the challenges for Avebe. He concluded that the coming decade is a 'tipping point decade'. For the students a special period to experience, in which especially their knowledge is evident.