The competition encouraged participants to develop ideas that would improve the lives of people living in Coimbra using Internet of Things (IoT) and The Things Network.

Today, the 23rd July at the Convento de São Francisco in Coimbra, all nine finalists exhibited their prototypes. An intriguing and enjoyable time was had by all, with each team demonstrating their commitment to tech innovation as well as to giving back to their community.

So, we're delighted to announce that the winner project is… drumroll please…

Luxifer! Well done team for the massive accomplishment and all your hard work.

What is Luxifer, we hear you ask? Let's find out!

Luxifer enables the user to control LED public lighting, allowing for brightness control for reasons including the comfort of nearby residents, traffic safety, and reducing light pollution. Luxifer also sends warnings automatically in the event of a technical issue. Talk about a lightbulb moment!  

The winning team received a €5,000 prize from Critical Software, in addition to access to a three-month trial at Nest Collective, incorporating mentoring sessions and the use of its spaces and services.

The team was awarded their prize by Gonçalo Quadros, our Chairman, and Miguel Antunes, Director of Nest Collective.

The competition was promoted by Fikalab and Critical Software in partnership with Coimbra City Council, Centro de Ecologia Funcional, do Instituto de Sistemas e Robótica da Universidade de Coimbra, da Escola Superior Agrária, do Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Politécnico de Coimbra, and Nest Collective.

Congratulations to all the teams who took part! We couldn't be prouder of the quality and innovation of the projects involved. We simply can't wait to see what next year brings!