The first Starlab Hackathon
Space for a weekend: students spent 30 hours working meticulously on business ideas for space. The Starlab Space Mission Hackathon shows the level of networking that goes into UZH’s commitment to supporting cooperation between research and industry in the aerospace sector.
Sixty students, researchers, and space enthusiasts worked in groups to develop concepts for the commercial use of Starlab. The participants came from various universities in Germany and Switzerland and represented different disciplines, such as sociology, mechanical engineering, biotechnology, psychology, and game design.
The challenge: Within 30 hours, a concept for the commercial use of Starlab must be developed. This space station is scheduled to operate in low Earth orbit starting in 2029. By then, when the International Space Station (ISS) is no longer in operation, space travel—previously driven by governments—will transition into a commercial space economy. This requires new, actionable ideas.
The 11 teams that were selected for the competition took part in four online training sessions in the weeks leading up to the hackathon, during which they began working on their idea for the project. The aim during the hackathon is then to turn the idea into a feasible mission concept that offers real economic potential. The participants received support from experts from the startup scene or space industry who provided some brief input, as well as coaching and challenging the participants.
The UZH Innovation Hub organized the Starlab Space Mission Hackathon in collaboration with partners at the Innovation Park Dübendorf. The event provided a platform at the intersection of science, entrepreneurship, and space exploration and highlights UZH’s commitment to fostering collaboration between research and industry in the aerospace sector.
“Our first Space Mission Hackathon with Starlab demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary collaboration at its best. It’s precisely this kind of interdisciplinary innovation that we promote at the University of Zurich.”
Maria Olivares, Head of Innovation at UZH.
The canton of Zurich is ideally placed to position itself as a key location for the new space economy. The University of Zurich, with all its innovation activities, especially in the life sciences, is in an excellent position to make the maximum contribution to this. UZH has a presence in Dübendorf with the Space Hub, whose international network makes it a driving force behind efforts to strengthen the emerging space industry in Zurich.
“With its research in a wide range of different areas, UZH is the perfect organization to contribute expertise and provide impetus when changes happen in the economy and in society. As a founding partner of the Center for Space and Aviation, we’ve built a strong network with partners from universities, business and politics to promote innovations in aerospace.”
Elisabeth Stark, Vice President Research at UZH
One example of this networking is the recent visit to Dübendorf by Winfried Kretschmann, Premier of Baden-Württemberg, and Petra Olschowski, Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Science, Research and the Arts. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen cooperation in education and research and also identify potential opportunities for cooperation in space travel and aviation.
The hackathon ended after 30 hours – but the level of enthusiasm for space travel did not. Many of the teams want to keep pursuing their ideas so they can turn them into reality.
This is an extract from the UZH News article «sleepless in Dübendorf».
Read the full article here.
Watch the Starlab Hackathon wrap up video: