The University of Barcelona wins the Essityʼs University Challenge for the second year in a row
Andrea Ochoa and Daniela Silvia, students of third year of Design at the University of Barcelona, won the 2018 University Challenge in the category of engineering, competing against 102 teams from twelve countries. This is the fifth edition of the competition, organized by Essity, in which teams made up of university students from all Europe have to develop innovative solutions in the field of hygiene and health, in the categories of engineering and marketing.
Andrea Ochoa and Daniela Silvia, students of third year of Design at the University of Barcelona, won the 2018 University Challenge in the category of engineering, competing against 102 teams from twelve countries. This is the fifth edition of the competition, organized by Essity, in which teams made up of university students from all Europe have to develop innovative solutions in the field of hygiene and health, in the categories of engineering and marketing.
This is the second year in a row the UB wins the competition. Also, this year the UB has clearly led the category of engineering: not only it got the first position but the second and third positions were also held by the UB, with projects by the students of the same year (Alba Royo, Ariadna Saperes and Marina Subirats, and Miriam Mesa, Clara Alejandre and Claudia Curto, respectively). “As well as three special honorary mentions at a local level that are a success which is hard to improve and makes us really glad”, say the members of the Department of Visual Arts and Design of the University. The award ceremony took place yesterday at the Faculty of Fine Arts. The finalists and the awardees attended the activity, as well as representatives of the company and lecturers from the institution.
Iʼm Your Bodyguard is the title of the project submitted by the winners, Andrea Ochoa and Daniela Silva. This is an innovative design of tissue packaging, which reduces the thickness of the common packaging and it keeps its easy use, plus it reduces the environmental impact of the typical plastic package. The students reduced the thickness of the package zigzagging the tissues and kept the easiness of its use by placing them inside an envelope-style package. This made the pack fit inside the pockets and take up less space. The eco-friendly element of the challenge was tackled by mixing natural Kraft paper and biodegradable plastic. Most hankies are packaged in single-use, non-biodegradable plastic. However, Kraft paper is made from wood pulp, which is stronger and more eco-friendly than regular paper. This occurs because it is not bleached, and bleaching reduces the paperʼs thickness. The chemicals used in Kraft paper can be used again, so the production cycle reduces waste.
Serafín Borreguero, director of Human Resources in Essity for Spain and Portugal, states that “big initiatives like this can bring additional value to our products and can materialize the view of the company: to improve the quality of peopleʼs lives”. Borreguero also highlights the possibility of identifying and promoting young talent.
The winners, Daniela Silva and Andrea Ochoa, think that “more than a competition, this project was an opportunity to know the real challenges big companies like Essity have to face”. “Since the beginning our main aim was to focus on the experience of the user, not only to provide them with a functional and eco-friendly product but also to provide an emotional connection with themselves”, note the students.
“The perspective of the design of objects that highlights aspects apart from technical efficiency, such as use and appearance, leads to bright results”, note Josep Teruel and Núria Coll, tutors of the course.
The award for the students will be a paid internship in Essity, where they can continue their training in a working environment.
More information on the awarded project in this video: