Over 180 students, startups and aspiring scientists from 18 European countries accepted the invitation of Deutsche Unternehmensinitiative Energieeffizienz (DENEFF) – the German Energy Efficiency Corporate Initiative to attend the event. In three challenges, each under the supervision of a company, the interdisciplinary teams worked late into the night to develop digital solutions in connection with the theme of energy efficiency. The challenge set by Danfoss was to develop the smart supermarket of the future.
‘This year’s Energy Efficiency Hackathon has demonstrated once again the close thematic links between digitalisation and the energy transition,’ declared Ole Møller-Jensen, President Danfoss Central Europe Region. ‘We took part with the aim of allowing ourselves to be challenged and inspired by young people who think quite differently from us. The participants showed a whole lot of commitment, and did everything they could to present energy efficiency in an interesting way for companies and users. We on our side were able to put across to them what Danfoss has to offer and how exciting our projects are.’
Over 50 EEHack participants chose to tackle the Danfoss challenge for the smart supermarket of the future. Already today, 6500 smart supermarkets all over the world are regulating their heating and cooling consumption with the help of Danfoss technological solutions. On the basis of anonymised data from these supermarkets, the five teams taking part developed their own ideas. The prize went to a proposal from the Good Food team which was designed to help reduce food wastage. The idea consists in a sticker which registers data, and on which the colour and/or price changes when the product approaches its sell-by date. Sensors could be used, it was suggested, as well as an ink that becomes visible over time.
‘The possibilities of supporting connected supermarkets with the help of innovative technology are enormous,’ says Nestor Avramov, Head of the IoT Platform at Danfoss. ‘The Good Food team relied on tried and tested solutions, and demonstrated how much potential is to be found in them.’ In coming months the young developers will have the opportunity of presenting their innovative idea to the responsible experts and managers at Danfoss.
