"PSU Cleantech Challenge Finals will be virtual, images are from past Cleantech Challenge events
Five student teams advanced to the final round of the 2021 Portland State University (PSU) Cleantech Challenge, an innovation challenge that gives students the opportunity to address the social, environmental, and economic challenges of the Pacific Northwest.
Teams will spend the coming weeks developing prototypes for their earth-saving innovations that will be presented during the final round of the competition on April 2. The teams will compete for $10,000 in grants and prizes, and the top two teams will represent PSU at the statewide InventOR competition later this year.
Five competing teams will represent PSU programs in architecture, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, environmental sustainability, economics, and business. The teams include:
Fashion in Action: converting textile waste into reusable spools of fabric.
Timber Recycling: developing a system to reuse timber in wood-framed construction to allow close to 100% of the wood framing to be reused.
Flux: Developing the next generation of kinetic architecture for ecologically sustainable buildings.
Living Education Center: designing an innovative prototype for the future of children’s education in a school setting focused on the environment.
Gener8: Developing the next generation of ethanol fuel cells.
Each team competing in Cleantech receives $1,500 for prototype development. In its ninth year, the Challenge has become an inspirational cornerstone of invention and entrepreneurship education at PSU.
“Now more than ever we need to nurture the next generation of college innovators. This year’s finalists are aiming to build a more sustainable future for our communities focusing on reusing existing materials and providing education to take better care of our planet. Invention Education brings a hands-on approach to solve problems that will impact people's lives, communities, and our planet for generations to come,” - said Juan Barraza, Director of Student Innovation at the Center for Entrepreneurship at Portland State and lead organizer of the Cleantech Challenge.
To learn more about the PSU Cleantech Challenge, visit https://www.pdx.edu/clean-challenge/
Information about the Invent Oregon competition can be found at https://www.inventoregon.org/