Industry Innovation Competitions | NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Industry Innovation Competitions

students posing in front of TMI Department sign

Overview

As part of Professor Michael Driscoll's Core Management of Technology (MOT) Global Innovation course, Tandon-based MOT students apply innovation frameworks and methodologies learned in the classroom to real-world challenges through participation in leading Industry Innovation Competitions. These experiences bridge the gap between graduate study and industry leadership, providing students with direct exposure to our global partners. By tackling high-stakes challenges, TMI students transform classroom theory into viable industrial solutions while building a competitive edge in the global job market.

Since Fall 2022, MOT/IE student teams have competed against hundreds of university teams worldwide and have been selected as finalists and/or winning teams for seven consecutive semesters, with several competitions awarding cash prizes. Participation has also led to internships and full-time employment opportunities with sponsoring and partner companies.

Past and Present Challenge Sponsors

AVEVA logo
Bayer logo
Egis Logo
Ferro Campus logo
Häagen-Dazs Logo
Keolis logo
PepsiCo logo
Schneider Electric - GRESB
TD Bank Logo

Fall 2025 Highlights

AVEVA Innovation Challenge 2025

The AVEVA Innovation Challenge 2025 invited competitors to develop disruptive software solutions designed to accelerate the industrial journey toward Net Zero, focusing on smarter resource management, energy efficiency, and the digital tools needed for a sustainable future.

Team Acadia won 3rd place out of 822 university teams globally, and six additional Tandon teams were named Top 10 Finalists for their disruptive software solutions designed to accelerate the industrial journey toward Net Zero.

Soham Vadje, Mrunal Palande & Xuying (Sally) Yang

The team developed an AI-powered system that syncs weather patterns with historical data to predict electricity generation and demand. By bridging the gap between volatility and usage, their platform optimizes solar dispatch in real-time for maximum efficiency.

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Sameer Ahmed, Avanti Kamod & Rohit Kolekar

This project integrates AVEVA PI with machine learning to modernize one of the world's oldest industries. The system slashes raw material waste by 35% and water consumption by 45% while providing total supply chain transparency and automated quality control.

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Iris Niu, Zhuoyi Zou, Ember Wang & Zihan Wang

EcoTwin merges digital twin technology with blockchain to create a trusted, end-to-end "passport" for industrial batteries. From manufacturing to recycling, this immutable record enables predictive maintenance and drives superior circular economy outcomes. Read more details on the team’s LinkedIn post.

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Vaishnavi Patil (MS. Construction Management)

In a notable cross-program contribution, Vaishnavi Patil designed a visualization platform that transforms complex industrial data into clear, real-time insights. The console empowers on-site decision-makers to reduce waste and hit Net Zero targets faster.

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Rouxin Zou, Kayla Chen, Zheyuan Zhang & Jack Luo

The EcoTech team developed a Digital Product Passport framework that combines blockchain traceability with AI-driven carbon lifecycle analysis. Their solution helps companies meet strict sustainability compliance while ensuring verifiable transparency across the global supply chain.

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Xiaoxin Xie, Zhilian Yang, Zehui Liu & Yihan Lu

The EcoGraphX team developed an AI-powered SaaS dashboard that unifies complex industrial data into a single source of truth for carbon emissions. By providing real-time tracking and analysis, the platform helps companies identify energy waste, maintain strict regulatory compliance, and accelerate their progress toward Net Zero commitments.

Ferrocampus 2025

Ferrocampus, based in Saintes, France, is an internationally recognized centre of excellence for the railway industry — uniting sector stakeholders around innovation, specialized training, and the development of next-generation rail solutions. MOT student teams earned finalist recognition in this prestigious global challenge.

Akshi Atreya & Ishaan Sachdeva 

The EcoTrack team reimagined international rail logistics by combining digital cargo passports with an AI-based pre-clearance system. By automating documentation and reducing border delays, their solution makes rail freight faster and more transparent, significantly cutting emissions and streamlining the end-to-end supply chain.

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Parth Gupta, Damoo Xin & Bisola Agbede

Engineered specifically for rail environments, AeraRail is a next-generation air purification solution that delivers a 90% reduction in PM2.5 particulate pollution. Designed to meet tightening EU air quality standards, the system improves operational efficiency and reduces lifecycle costs, making it a sustainable and cost-effective choice for modern transit.

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Hemaang Patkar, Pratham Bhanushali, Swara Vedak & Mehul Gupta
 

FlowMind AI is a concept for reducing peak-hour rail congestion by using AI to guide passengers toward less crowded train cars and boarding areas in real time. It combines predictive analytics, multi-agent coordination, and operator oversight to improve passenger distribution across platforms and trains. The goal is to lower dwell times, reduce delays, and improve punctuality without adding new infrastructure. The project is currently presented as a simulation-based prototype, not a live deployed system.

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Previous Achievements

Egis Foundation

  • 4th Place – Khon Sulta, Niranjana (NJ)
  • Top 50 – Tripur Joshi, Dishani Sen
  • Top 50 – Devansh Baid, Suyash Jaiswal, Siddhant Gautam, Prasanth Suresh

AVEVA

  • Top 10 – Capucine Cotier, Anchal Thool
  • Top 10 – Kirk Ding, Kaushik Chanchala, Teja Akavaram
  • Top 15 – Aashtha Bubber, Aditi Bhardwaj, Daniela Castro
  • Top 15 – Yu Gao, Yongke Wang, Huanrui Yu
  • Top 15 – Fawaz AlOlayan

Keolis

  • Top 15 – Leon Jiang, Xinyue Zhao, Nasrin Alanna Aidi, Diya Shreshta
  • Top 15 – Tori Lee, Katherine Xu
  • Top 15 – Ruiyan Xie, Jiaan Cao, Xi Luo, Qinyi Li

Egis Foundation

  • Top 13 – Hanqing Sun, Zhenguo W., Chenshu Yuan, Chenyang Cui, Patti Tang

PepsiCo: Gatorade

  • Winner – Noelle Cordell-Skillman, Sragvi Banda, Srishti Dhurandhar

  • Winner – Kashvi Gupta, Ivana Cheng, Daniel Shiponi, Benji Hua

Schneider Electric

  • Top 10 – Prajwal Dutta, Aakanxa Dutta, Jinxuan Zhou, Yuqing Shi

Bayer Innovation Challenge

  • 1st Place – Howard Hong, Jiaying Yu, Tianqi Chen, Qingbo Li, Yicen Duan.

  • 2nd Place – Deevanshu Srivastav, Aakash Sardesai, Saachee Deshmukh, Sudhanshu Maheshwari, Nareshkumar Chandrahasan Senthilkumar (Team Violet)