As the theme of this course is energy transition, students’ products are focused on sustainable alternatives which are less energy demanding. One of the groups developed a leather-like material made of symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), and the other created a thread made of nettle-fibers as a basis for fishing nets.
During the presentations, the students presented their prototypes, argued for the necessity of developing such solutions in their field and explained their process and what they learned along the way. The projects had a strong liberal arts and sciences character, as students considered perspectives of policy, legislation, and environmental science in their reasoning.
Students had been working on their prototypes for approximately 18 weeks. Next to their research and hands-on work on their products, they also visited a number of technology-based organizations in Zeeland and took part in workshops about working with different tools and materials.
Next semester a new project course will be taking place, led by Dr. Ilke Ercan, called Sensing Systems for Sustainability.