Project Based

Student projects in Kreis Kleve

Build real projects with local companies

Project Based is a non-profit that gives students real briefs from companies in the region. We run events and collaborations where teams build something and solve real problems.

Partners and sponsors

  • HSRW
  • Sponsor 1
  • Sponsor 2
  • Sponsor 3
  • Sponsor 4
  • Sponsor 5

The mission

Solving what companies actually need

Project Based runs events that help students solve real-world problems, the kind that companies in the region need solved.

Every project has the same core: a real brief from a company, a team of students, and something built at the end. Some are a single event with a deadline. Others are research collaborations that run for longer.

Formats we plan to run Hackathons, datathons, product and simulation challenges, competitions and paid research collaborations

University partner

Hochschule Rhein-Waal, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences

The first projects take place at Hochschule Rhein-Waal in Kleve.

Academic supporters

Members of the Faculty of Technology and Bionics who support our mission. The Project Based team handles all organisation.

  • Prof. Dr. Achim Kehrein
    Prof. Dr. Achim Kehrein
    Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Technology and Bionics
  • Dr. Thorsten Camps
    Dr. Thorsten Camps
    Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Technology and Bionics
  • Prof. Dr. Matthias Krauledat
    Prof. Dr. Matthias Krauledat
    Computer Science, Faculty of Technology and Bionics
  • Prof. Dr. Ronny Hartanto
    Prof. Dr. Ronny Hartanto
    Computer Engineering, Faculty of Technology and Bionics
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stéphane Danjou
    Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stéphane Danjou
    Mechanical and Plant Engineering with a focus on Digital Product Development, Faculty of Technology and Bionics
  • Fabrice Kirsch, M.Sc.
    Fabrice Kirsch, M.Sc.
    Research Associate, Production and Economics, Faculty of Technology and Bionics

Why us

Few ways for students here to work with companies

Students in Kreis Kleve and the surrounding regions have limited exposure to hackathon communities and few chances to collaborate with nearby companies.

~10,270 companies are listed in the Kleve region alone. Many of them could use student help to sort through their issues and find solutions they would not have found on their own.

For students, that means valuable experience before they enter the market and the working field.

Working with surrounding universities and labs opens up more opportunities for students across the region.

Schwanenburg, Kleve. Photo: Maarten Takens, CC BY-SA 2.0

Project areas

Built around the faculties at HSRW

HSRW is mainly an engineering university, so a plain software hackathon would leave most students out. Each project area gives a different faculty something to build.

Data

Data analysis and machine learning

Teams read a real data set, clean it and use code to answer a question a company actually has. It ties to the university's newer data-focused engineering degree.

Hardware

Product development and simulation

Teams design a product in CAD, simulate it, then connect sensors and microcontrollers into a working prototype. It rewards students who move between mechanics, electronics and code.

Life sciences

Genetics and bio simulation

Bioengineering students model proteins, or simulate how a drug is cultured and how quickly it is metabolised. The result is a model they can explain and defend.

Industry

Research collaborations

Paid research roles let a small group of students work with a company on a problem or product it wants to explore. This is where a single event can turn into a longer relationship.

More areas will follow as other faculties get involved.

How a project runs

A draft format for the first event

Phase 1

Brief

A company submits a problem. The organisers turn it into a challenge in one of the project areas.

Phase 2

Team

Students register and form teams that mix programs.

Phase 3

Build

Teams work on site in Kleve with mentors from the company.

Phase 4

Show

Teams present their work to a jury of company staff. Strong teams are introduced to the sponsors.

Dates, length, venue and prizes are still open. This format is a proposal to agree with HSRW and the first sponsors.

Where we start

Starting at HSRW, growing outward

The first projects take place in Kleve with HSRW students and companies from Kreis Kleve. From there we want to reach the universities, labs and companies around the region.

Rhein NETHERLANDS GERMANY 25 km 50 km 75 km HSRW Kleve Where we start HSRW Kamp-Lintfort Hochschule Niederrhein Krefeld Uni Duisburg-Essen HHU Düsseldorf Hochschule Bochum Radboud University Nijmegen HAN University Arnhem

Distances are straight-line from the Kleve campus.

Who it is for

What each partner gets

Companies and sponsors

  • A direct line to motivated students before they graduate
  • A real problem worked on by several teams at once
  • Paid research roles for deeper work on a product or question
  • Visibility in the region

Professors and the university

  • Project-based learning outside the lecture hall
  • No organising work, the Project Based team handles it
  • Closer ties to local industry

Students

  • Real briefs instead of textbook exercises
  • Teams that mix programs
  • Portfolio work and contacts for a CV, and paid roles for the strongest teams

The team

Ahmad Azzeh
Founder and CEO
Mechanical Engineering
Pablo
Logistics
Mechatronic Systems Engineering
Antonio
Logistics
Mechanical Engineering
Jakob
Technical
Engineering
Marco
Legal and accounting
Taxation and Law

Next step

Help us run the first project in Kleve

We are looking for university supporters, two or three companies willing to set a brief, and a venue. If you can help with any of these, we would like to talk.