Famous recipients of engineering sparks 2025

Acknowledgments of the engineering spark, which were awarded for the sixth time as part of the engineer’s initiative and the engineers we will!, Receive breakthrough, original practices, projects, events or persons who significantly contribute to the development, validity and enthusiasm for engineering profession and innovation in society.

The committee was composed of representatives of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, the Chamber of Electrical Industry of Slovenia, the Office for the transfer of knowledge of the University of Ljubljana and the organizers, the Mediaade company.

Three engineering sparks

Students Zoja Jurečič and Lana Ocvirk From the Novo mesto High School, they received recognition for the Tremolis device, which improves quality of life to people with essential tremor. Tremolis is a mechanical-electron device that helps to reduce the symptoms of hand shaking with impulses, makes it easier to perform everyday tasks, thereby enhancing users’ self-image.

In development, they faced real technical challenges – from ergonomics to the transmission of vibrations to the user’s hand, that they are effective, but that they do not cause discomfort. They developed a prototype and upgraded the solution with the app. They successfully launched the innovation on the market.

Team Edward Rusjan Team The University of Ljubljana, composed of students of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science and other fields, has created an aircraft that overcomes challenges in air and on the ground. At the Design/Build/Fly International Competition, 112 teams from the world’s best universities were ranked eighth in the competition of 112 teams. The project was carried out under mentorship dr. Igor Petrovicheads of the aeronautics laboratory and lecturer at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana.

Dr. Masha Jazbec and Catapult Robotics They received an engineering spark for contribution to popularizing technology, technical literacy and creating an inclusive environment. Through workshops, demonstrations and programs, it actively builds technical culture and encourages curiosity and engineering thinking among young people.

Catapult robotics acts as a modern platform that includes children and youth into the world of robotics through practical work, creativity and research. Program robotičar will! It allows children aged 9 to 12 to make a humanoid robot themselves, program and animate it.

Special praise

The Commission also awarded two special praise. Namely the Sound & Round student company and FERI Academy.

Students of the Secondary School of Woodworking of the Škofja Loka School Center, Jan Bernik, Tobija Štalec, Ažbe Jereb and Matic Demšar produced a wooden sound amplifier for mobile phones within the Sound & Round student company. The product is in this year’s selection for the student company Yes Slovenia won first place.

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Information Science of the University of Maribor received praise for the startup and establishment of the FERI Academy. It is a comprehensive and systematic program for the early direction of young people in engineering water, in which students, professors and assistants are involved. Young people through holiday schools, a mini academy, science and technical days, circles, competitions and research are in contact with modern technologies and research work.

A significant impact of the environment for the choice of an engineering profession

The event was supported by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, dr. Igor Papič.

“Parents in young children should be encouraged by the enthusiasm for science and technology, and this should continue in kindergarten, school. However, we need to be aware that we have more or less exhausted the personnel potential we have with boys, and we still have great unused potential in girls, mainly because of the prejudices that Stem is more suitable for boys. So the girls need to be further encouraged by an engineering spark to eliminate prejudices that are just in the minds of people, « he said.

Engineer in 2024, Rebecca Kropivšek Leskovar She emphasized the importance of the community that an engineering spark is: “Each story has one common point and that is a community. Let them be societies, school projects, mentors … That spark that ignites in us flame engineering only with the mutual support found in such environments. Only with mutual support do we feel free enough to be able to explore, play, and thus find answers to questions that we are not sure by ourselves. «