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STRATON Europe - European Strategic Technologies Challenge
Bring your knowledge together with ideas from other disciplines. Work as a team to develop a solution to a real-world challenge.
Students and doctoral candidates from European universities are invited to STRATON Europe — an international, four-day project competition organised by the Silesian University of Technology. Put your academic knowledge into practice, collaborate with people from different countries and fields of study, and develop your ideas with support from mentors and experts.
Over four days, interdisciplinary teams will tackle challenges developed in cooperation with industry partners. From asking the first questions and understanding needs to developing a concept and delivering a final presentation, participants will work through the process of creating a solution and exploring its potential.
Your field of study brings a fresh perspective
STRATON Europe welcomes students and doctoral candidates from all fields and disciplines. Whether your interests lie in technology, natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, health, business, law, education, the arts or design, there is room for your perspective.
Teams will benefit from a wide range of skills: analysing data, understanding human needs, designing solutions, communicating ideas, planning activities and assessing social and economic impacts. What matters is what you can contribute — and your willingness to learn from others.
Your team’s outcome could be a technological concept, a service or process model, a prototype, a feasibility study, an organisational recommendation or an implementation plan. The form of the solution should reflect the challenge you choose.
What will the four days involve
- Day 1 — meet people and choose your challenge. Opening sessions, introductions, team formation, initial analysis and concept development, followed by evening networking.
- Day 2 — develop your idea and learn to present it. Team work, expert consultations and a pitch deck workshop with recorded presentation practice.
- Day 3 — refine your solution. Consultations with mentors and partners, work on a model or prototype, and an entrepreneurship workshop exploring implementation opportunities.
- Day 4 — share what your team has achieved. Final presentations to the judging panel, partners and fellow participants, followed by a gala featuring the announcement of results, awards and a cultural programme showcasing Poland and the Silesian region.
Why take part
Gain experience of tackling a real-world problem, develop your teamwork and presentation skills in English, and meet students, doctoral candidates and experts from different backgrounds. Your concept could become the starting point for further consultations, a degree project, a research project or an initiative of your own.
Apply to take part
Participation is free of charge. The event will take place in person, with English as the working language. The programme is planned for 20 teams of 2–3 participants.
Event dates: December 14–17, 2026
Organiser: Silesian University of Technology
Application deadline: November 22, 2026
Tell us about your skills and motivation in the application form. Participants will be selected in accordance with the competition rules, taking into account diversity across fields of study, universities and countries.
Join STRATON Europe and discover what you can create by bringing different perspectives together.
