2024 Living Lab Project Awards

The CTCI Education Foundation (CTCIEF) and the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE) jointly organized the "2024 4th Living Lab Project Awards" ceremony and results presentation. The event was inaugurated by Dr. Eugene Chien, Chairman of both the CTCIEF and the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, alongside Professor Wei-Chung Wang of the Department of Power Mechanical Engineering at National Tsing Hua University, who served as the event convener. Following the opening ceremony, participating teams captivated the audience with their impressive presentations on innovative solutions designed to promote sustainable living.

This year’s competition featured 20 teams vying for top honors in categories such as the CTCI Sustainable Living Award, Circular Economy Award, Sustainable Net-Zero Award, and the Popularity Award, sharing a scholarship prize pool of NT$850,000. Chairman Chien lauded the high caliber of entries, with these 20 finalists being chosen from 101 submissions, highlighting their creativity and innovative spirit. He stressed the critical role of converting knowledge and creativity into actionable solutions against the backdrop of accelerating climate change, environmental shifts, social inclusivity, and economic challenges. He also encouraged the participants to continue their innovative and entrepreneurial efforts beyond the competition to drive their projects to fruition.

 For the final round of the competition, a distinguished judging panel is formed with two industry experts— Chief Sustainability Officer Joanne Ho from CTCI Group's Net-Zero and Sustainability Office, and Operations Manager Ellen Lee from FunCrowd Inc.—alongside two academic scholars deeply involved in sustainability issues. The rigorous evaluation process included peer reviews and expert assessments by the panel, ensuring an impartial and merit-based recognition of the top contenders. After a six-hour marathon  of engaging presentations, the YunPower Team from National Yunlin University of Science and Technology claimed the first-place prize with their project "Frozen Storm," which captivated the judges with its innovative method for enhancing air conditioning efficiency. The runner-up positions were secured by C House from National Sun Yat-sen University and Gotcha! Carbon Babies from National Cheng Kung University. The third-place honors went to team Electric Bus Revolutionaries from Shu-Te University, team Green Future  from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and team Happy YOLO Milk  from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Notably, the Green Future team also received special recognition with the Sustainable Net-Zero Award from the judging panel for their project that aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals -SDG 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts).

This year's event stood out for its emphasis on practical innovation, as the winning projects transitioned from theoretical explorations in the lab to tangible applications in daily life, effectively incorporating artificial intelligence and sustainability practices. The aim was to offer young students a platform for observation and exchange, encouraging them to generate solutions for sustainability challenges affecting campuses, local communities, societies, and the global environment.

Group photo during the awards ceremony and presentation of results

1st Prize winning team – YunPower Team from National Yunlin University of Science and Technology