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MSM full-time MBA students join the Dutch IoT Challenge

18-06-2020

Two teams of MSM’s full-time MBA students made it to the finals of the Dutch IoT Challenge which took place via livestream on Friday, 12 June 2020.

In the past months, the students were introduced to the "Internet of Things” in workshops hosted by the organizers of the Dutch IoT Challenge. The aim of the challenge is to enthuse students (ranging from high-school to university level) for technology and innovation. The projects were divided into 5 categories: Healthcare, Agro Culture, Social Impact by Rabobank, General/Logistics and Smart Cities. During the pitch event on 12 June the best project per category was selected which will be supported to further develop their ideas.  

The MSM projects

A team of 4 full-time MBA students worked on a project called AutoAqua. AutoAqua is an automated system to take care of your plants at home. Using digital technology the team created an integrated system between a machine attached to the plants and an app. This way the user can monitor the temperature, light, and moisture of the plants. AutoAqua has an automated watering system to maintain the water level of the plants.

A second team of full-time MBA students worked on a project to connect city with farmers via smart recycling. Currently, there is no connected waste collection system to produce fertilizers in a timely manners and based on the farmers’ needs. That is why biodegradable garbage gets decomposed before processing it to fertilizer. The project will collect biodegradable garbage in the most efficient manner to make fertilizer and then deliver it to the farmers via recycling. The idea is to deliver the right amount of fertilizer at the right time. The project also aims to help farmers make the right prediction about their cultivation with the help of data analytics (though an IOT based platform).

For full-time MBA student Syed Mohammad Walid participating in the Dutch IoT challenge was of great added value to his personal and professional development. “The class on Decision Making Tools helped me to solidify my idea and add the use of data in predictive analysis into the project. The Entrepreneurship class taught me how to develop a business plan and how to use the Business Model Canvas. These are just two examples of how the full-time MBA courses were applied into practice. The ability to connect textbook learning into a real life project was a great learning experience."

Click here to have a look at the presentations of both teams. You can find the presentation of AutoAqua at 52:00 minutes and the presentation of Connecting City with farmers via smart recycling at 1:52:20.

MSM is proud of both teams to make it to the finals with their ‘Internet of Things’ solution! Connecting city with farmers via smart recycling won in the Social Impact by Rabobank category. Syed explains that winning was really a team effort. “I took the lead in this project and am thankful to my team members who supported me from the beginning. Gaining the trust of my team members was crucial in establishing my idea. All the team efforts contributed to the success of the project.” The coming months Syed and his team members will work on further developing the idea with the help of the Innovation cheque. “The utility offered by this project will benefit the Dutch farmers and will increase the environmental awareness among Dutch communities. Because of the scalability of the project, the project could be implemented on a national level but also in many other countries. I look forward to completing the project.”

About the Dutch IoT Challenge
The mission of the Dutch IoT Challenge is to stimulate students to innovate. In collaboration with several stakeholders of the Triple Helix the students work on designing innovative applications for existing challenges. The focus of the Dutch IoT Challenge is not only to come up with an applicable solution but also on the development of 21st century skills.

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