{"id":6196,"date":"2026-03-05T13:52:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T12:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/?p=6196"},"modified":"2026-11-04T23:14:27","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T22:14:27","slug":"training-camp-for-innovation-in-ki-robotics-and-the-circular-economy-a-chance-to-try-things-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/trainingslager-fuer-innovation-ki-robotik-und-circular-economy-zum-ausprobieren\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovation boot camp: try out AI, robotics and the circular economy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From the 24 to 28 February 2026<\/strong> found that\u00a0SMART GREEN ISLAND INNOVATION FESTIVAL\u00a0<\/strong>the\u00a0ITQ GmbH<\/a>\u00a0and the Spanish\u00a0Dr Stetter ITQ S.L.U.<\/a>\u00a0took place on Gran Canaria. At the\u00a0334 young talents, female and male professors and<\/strong>\u00a0Company representatives in\u00a0<\/strong>interdisciplinary teams tackling industrial challenges in the fields of AI, automation and the circular economy. At the same time, 150 researchers presented their work at the international\u00a0EUROCAST Conference<\/a>\u00a0on current scientific topics, such as those in the fields of quantum mechanics, robotics and AI.<\/p>\n

In addition, they collected\u00a0350 pupils taking part in hands-on technology workshops<\/strong>\u00a0initial experiences with\u00a0Robotics, programming and electronics.<\/strong>\u00a0At the Technical Museum\u00a0Elder Museum<\/a> This led to the creation of a shared innovation space in Las Palmas, where research, industrial application and the promotion of young talent worked in close collaboration. Students, lecturers and representatives from industry developed functional demonstrators and forged links within a framework that systematically combines innovation development, talent promotion and academic exchange.<\/p>\n

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CirQmind in practice: from smart recycling to smart automation<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Under the theme\u00a0\u201eCirQmind \u2013 Circular Economy through Circular Society\u201c<\/strong>\u00a018 teams worked on real-world industrial challenges. With\u00a0MVTec<\/a>\u00a0they developed\u00a0AI-based image processing for automated waste and object recognition<\/strong>, with\u00a0Beckhoff<\/a>\u00a0PLC-controlled sorting systems for precise material separation<\/strong>. Together with\u00a0Lorenz<\/a>\u00a0originated\u00a0Prototypes for smart, circular transport boxes<\/strong>\u00a0for\u00a0Water meters with tracking and condition monitoring.<\/strong>\u00a0For\u00a0MEILLER tipper<\/a>\u00a0the teams devised a\u00a0Autonomously controlled model vehicle with a hook-lift function<\/strong>, which automatically controls, picks up and positions swap bodies.<\/p>\n

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Innovation comes from doing<\/span><\/h4>\n

The MAKEATHON shows that\u00a0Capacity for innovation<\/strong>\u00a0does not arise theoretically, but through\u00a0Practical application under real-world conditions.<\/strong>\u00a0Students and trainees work on specific industrial challenges, thereby systematically developing their creative thinking, technical implementation skills and ability to make responsible decisions. At the same time, this format represents an alternative model for recruiting skilled workers: companies assess talent not in job interviews, but through projects. This makes skills immediately apparent, and young professionals develop the ability at an early stage to actively drive forward innovative solutions in their future working lives.<\/p>\n

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A passion for technology from school age onwards<\/span><\/h4>\n

Alongside the MAKEATHON,\u00a0350 schoolchildren from the island took part in free technology workshops<\/strong>\u00a0part.\u00a0Robotics, programming and electronics with a focus on sustainability<\/strong>\u00a0were the main focus. The workshops were run by\u00a0German universities<\/strong>, the\u00a0Gerda Stetter Foundation: \u201eTechnology is fun!\u201c<\/a>\u00a0as part of the EU-funded research project\u00a0\u201eEduDemoS\u201c<\/a>\u00a0as well as the Canary Islands\u2019\u00a0The Sergio Alonso Foundation<\/a>. The participating universities view the MAKEATHON as a practical extension of their educational programmes: research, industrial challenges and project-based learning are intertwined, and technological skills are systematically developed from school age onwards.<\/p>\n

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Science in Dialogue<\/span><\/h4>\n

Running alongside the MAKEATHON, the museum hosted the\u00a0EUROCAST International Conference<\/strong>\u00a0with around\u00a0150 researchers from 20 universities took part.<\/strong> Several professors were not only actively involved in the conference, but also took part in the MAKEATHON alongside their students. As a result, the latest research findings were incorporated directly into the teams\u2019 project work. Science and practical technology development were closely intertwined.<\/p>\n

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Special thanks go to the following sponsors<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
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Platinum Sponsor:<\/strong>\u00a0MVTec<\/a><\/p>\n

Gold Sponsors<\/strong>\u00a0are technology companies:\u00a0Beckhoff<\/a>,\u00a0MEILLER tipper<\/a>,\u00a0Lorenz<\/a>\u00a0as well as local institutions: the Canary Islands Government\u00a0Government of the Canary Islands<\/a>, Government of Gran Canaria\u00a0Gran Canaria Island Council<\/a>,\u00a0The Sergio Alonso Foundation<\/a>,\u00a0Elder Museum<\/a>,<\/p>\n

Silver Sponsors<\/strong>\u00a0are:\u00a0igus<\/a>,\u00a0MathWorks<\/a>,\u00a0The Fraunhofer Institute\u2019s Quanderland<\/a>,\u00a0IES El Rinc\u00f3n<\/a>,\u00a0Algorithmics<\/a>,\u00a0Protect the Planet \u2013 Dorothea Sick-Thies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Further\u00a0long-standing supporters<\/strong>\u00a0The MAKEATHON\u2019s Silver Sponsors are\u00a0Karl-Peter-Obermaier School, Passau<\/a>\u00a0as well as the\u00a0Vocational Schools in Wilhelmshaven<\/a>, who, together with their enthusiastic trainees, help us to set up and supervise the workshops, as well as organise the event and catering. For them, the MAKEATHON is a\u00a0real-world training project<\/strong>, in which\u00a0Practical event planning, logistics and teamwork<\/strong>\u00a0be practised \u2013 under real-life conditions rather than in the classroom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vom 24. bis 28. Februar 2026 fand das\u00a0SMART GREEN ISLAND INNOVATIONSFESTIVAL\u00a0der\u00a0ITQ GmbH\u00a0und der spanischen\u00a0Dr. Stetter ITQ S.L.U.\u00a0auf Gran Canaria statt. Beim\u00a0MAKEATHON arbeiteten 334 Young Talents, Professorinnen, Professoren und\u00a0Unternehmensvertreter in\u00a0interdisziplin\u00e4ren Teams an industriellen Herausforderungen aus den Bereichen KI, Automatisierung und Circular Economy. Parallel dazu informierten 150 Forschende auf der internationalen\u00a0EUROCAST Konferenz\u00a0zu aktuellen Wissenschaftsthemen wie beispielsweise aus […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6197,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_piecal_is_recurring":false,"_piecal_recurring_interval":1,"_piecal_recurring_frequency":"","_piecal_recurring_exact_position":false,"_piecal_recurring_end":"","_piecal_color":"","_piecal_text_color":"","_piecal_global_color_master":false,"_piecal_rsets":"[]","_piecal_is_event":false,"_piecal_start_date":"","_piecal_end_date":"","_piecal_is_allday":false,"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,9,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-makeathon","category-news","category-veranstaltungen"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6196"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11533,"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6196\/revisions\/11533"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itq.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}