Hrvatski Telekom dd : presented Generation Next and donated HRK 700,000 for STEM projects

9.11.2017

• A new wave of technological changes is arriving, and Generation Next will bring together in one spot all the projects due to which HT is the frontrunner of the digital transformation of society
• The projects are intended for education of over 1,500 pupils and 100 mentors throughout Croatia

Boris Drilo, Member of the Management Board and Chief Technical and Information Officer in HT, Ankica Kovač, Project Manager of 'The First Croatian Hydrogen Refuelling Station', Rujana Bakić, co-founder and the Secretary General at the Institute for Youth Development and Innovation and Korado Korlević, the founder of the Astronomical Society Višnjan

Generation Next is a new communication platform of Hrvatski Telekom that brings together all the projects of the company intended to prepare Croatia for a new wave of technological changes. In addition to concrete impact exerted by HT towards the popularisation of STEM skills and technology throughout the segments of life, Generation Next will keep abreast with the latest trends and projects implemented by the company in the field of Internet security and investment into the Croatian culture.

The winners of the donation competition organised by Hrvatski Telekom through which the company has been continuously awarding and supporting the best STEM projects in Croatia were presented within Generation Next. The total value of the donation reaching HRK 700,000 was this year divided into three categories - Youth Education, Teacher/Professor Education, and Innovations.

The winner in the category of Youth Education was the project entitled 'HT Campus' developed by the Astronomical Society Višnjan. Under the category Teacher/Professor education, the donation was awarded to the Institute for Youth Development and Innovation for the project entitled 'Advanced Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in Croatian schools'. In the category of Innovations, the project developed by the Zagreb-based Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture of the University of Zagreb entitled 'The First Croatian Hydrogen Refuelling Station' was declared the best.

'A new wave of technological changes is arriving. Generation Next is investing into people who are prepared to exploit the opportunities provided by the new era. Consequently, we are encouraging young people to become involved in STEM projects that are intended to change the society and help them in their development and the future career paths. Through the supported projects within the donation competition, we are yet again going to increase the number of pupils and students educated on the use of modern technologies. Nevertheless, this year we have focused also on the education of mentors in order to enable a more effective knowledge transfer', pointed out Boris Drilo, Member of the Management Board and Chief Technical and Information Officer in HT.

Education on advanced IoT technologies intended for 100 mentors and 800 children

The Institute for Youth Development and Innovation is launching the project 'Advanced IoT in the Croatian schools'. 100 teachers/professors and mentors will be educated for work using IoT technologies through this IoT project, and they will subsequently transfer this knowledge to 800 pupils throughout Croatia.

'I am pleased that HT has recognised the importance of our project for the second consecutive year. Through a financial support provided by them, as well as through the support provided by educators from HT, we will be able to raise the 'Advanced IoT in the Croatian Schools' to a new level. IoT is the fastest growing modern Internet technology, and its implementation into schooling enables both the teachers/professors and pupils to keep abreast with the global trends in the use of educational and industrial technologies', emphasised Rujana Bakić, co-founder and the Secretary General at the Institute for Youth Development and Innovation.

In addition to 20 free educational materials, teachers/professors and mentors will be donated equipment that enables education and direct application of IoT technologies in practice. Two creative competitions will be held within the project, as well as a large-scale collaborative project intended to develop a device for measuring atmospheric conditions that will show the conditions in real time.

The First Croatian Hydrogen Refuelling Station for cleaner urban transport

Motivated by the Paris Climate Agreement, students and their mentors from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture launched a project entitled 'The First Croatian Hydrogen Refuelling Station'. The idea behind the project is an environmentally-friendly solution for exploiting solar energy for the production of alternative fuel, or hydrogen for cleaner transport, which will reduce air pollution and improve the quality of life in the cities. Hence, the exploitation of hydrogen fuel technologies will be completed without the accompanying harmful exhaust fumes.

'I am delighted with the fact that the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture found itself in this reputable company of experts who are striving to encourage the development of STEM in Croatia. Due to the donation awarded by HT, Croatia will become richer for its own innovative system that will connect production, storage, and distribution of hydrogen. Such technologies rank amongst 7 fundamental technologies of the 21 century, and their timely development is of crucial importance. Nevertheless, they also need to be accepted and included in the energy strategy of the Republic of Croatia', stressed Ankica Kovač, Project Manager of 'The First Croatian Hydrogen Refuelling Station'.

HT Campus for the exploitation of the potential of young experts

'HT Campus' is a continuation of the last year's project developed by the Astronomical Society Višnjan, intended for the renovation of the Laboratory for Robotics and Advanced Technologies, which will provide the premises for conducting practical work and project implementation in the field of technical culture, robotics, sensorics, automation, electronics, and physics. Consequently, the Astronomical Society Višnjan will be equipped for the implementation of complex interdisciplinary pupil projects in the STEM fields.

'One of the innovations with which we are particularly delighted is that after a number of years the educational process will be implemented throughout the year, rather than only during the summer months. This year we are planning to involve a total of 725 pupils in the project and show them that there is a world in which there is an entirely different method of communication and in which knowledge, work, abilities, and inventiveness are particularly highly valued', pointed out Korado Korlević, the founder of the Astronomical Society Višnjan.