VDE dialog: What makes COSIMA special for you?
André Kretschmann: COSIMA is a competition for students which doesn’t set them a specific task. Instead, we appeal to the students’ inventive spirit. In addition to technical implementation, we also attach great importance to economic viability and public relations.
Why are you involved in this project?
Degree courses now have a lot of theoretical content. They usually don’t cover things like how to set up a project, what the costing process looks like, or how to present the project successfully. With COSIMA, we can show that a project is more than just a cool idea and get people excited about it. It’s fun and motivating.
Who benefits most from the competition?
Everyone – that's what makes it special. First of all, of course, it's the students themselves. They get to look at a technical problem from every angle and work through it. As an industry, we benefit from the fact that talented young people come to us with a completely different perspective and level of knowledge. The professors at the universities value the independence of the COSIMA participants. And we on the jury also thrive on the enthusiasm and creativity in and around the competition.
Speaking of enthusiasm, what have you found particularly exciting at COSIMA in recent years?
We see so many great projects. As head of the jury, I don't want to single out any of them in particular. However, what always inspires me about the competition is the creativity, the interdisciplinary nature of the teams and the commitment of the participants, many of whom will also be working on their project in their free time. You can just tell that the students enjoy the challenge.
Project registration for COSIMA 2025 is open until May 31. Further information:
https://www.cosima-mems.de (in German)
