TU Delft Impact Contest and KH Challenge

In the middle: Serdar Erdag

‘Innovative power is an important distinguishing feature of the Dutch economy and of KH Engineering’, says Serdar Erdag, Account Manager of the New Energy & Infrastructure group within KH Engineering. ‘That’s why we encourage it through the TU Delft Impact Contest and our own KH Challenge.’ 

Creating innovative solutions for societal problems is the aim of the TU Delft Impact Contest, which was held this autumn for the seventh time. During the three-day event, students – with the help of various partners, including KH Engineering – have the opportunity to develop their ideas, prototypes and research projects into real products and business plans. ‘This year there were almost forty participants from various study directions,including IT, building technology, chemistry and electronics’, Serdar explains. ‘An online platform is created where the students can showcase their ideas. We look at which ideas best match the activities of KH Engineering and then guide those students during the event.’ 

Startup
The first day consists of introductions and networking. ‘After that, we select the teams we will guide. During the second day, we delve into the business case in detail, and on the third day,the teams present their business case followed by the award ceremony.’ Serdar, who studied at TU Delft himself, also supports students annually with their graduation projects, together with colleague Nathalie Bruyn. ‘It's very motivating to still be so closely involved with the TU. What struck me the most? Besides the enthusiasm of the participants, that there are so many young people that are engaged in entrepreneurship. Many of the participants are part of a startup or have started one themselves. I find that entrepreneurship really surprising.’ 

KH Challenge
The last quarter of 2023 at KH Engineering is dedicated to sustainability. ‘In this Sustainability Quarter, we have organised a number of activities. For example, the KH Challenge took place at our office in Amsterdam. During this event, our colleagues under 35 years old (Young KH) worked with students from various technical universities in groups on a case study. They were challenged to devise a circular business model for the port of Amsterdam.’ Serdar was involved in the organisation of this day and was part of the jury. ‘The best business model was a mechanical design to bring oil in the port to the water surface. Particularly the beautiful design, the applicability and the partnerships that need to be formed with the project were decisive.’

Joint task
By participating in the TU Delft Impact Contest and organising the KH Challenge, KH Engineering aims to position itself among promising talents. ‘We can offer them internships or a job. Their innovative ideas are crucial for us and for society to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. That is our joint task.’