Student’s Eco-Friendly Innovation Wins At WTTC Global Summit

Nguyen Thao Van, a student from VinUniversity, Vietnam, was declared the winner of the first Investors’ Nest at the 24th World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Perth, Western Australia. This event, coordinated in partnership with the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC) from Hotelschool The Hague, aimed to showcase transformative solutions from students worldwide for the future of hospitality.

The SHC gathered students from over 75 universities who competed in regional semi-finals. The finalists were from the University of West London (UK), VinUniversity (Vietnam), Instituto Profesional Duoc UC (Chile), Cornell University (USA), and the University of West Indies (Jamaica). The teams presented solutions for challenges such as plastic pollution, renewable energy, sustainable construction materials, food waste management, and cultural tourism.

Nguyen Thao Van won the competition with her project, Dynapath. The project transforms plastic waste into kinetic tiles that generate electricity using piezoelectric technology. This innovative flooring solution is sustainable, energy-efficient, and reduces plastic pollution, having applications in high-traffic areas like hotels and airports.

The Investors’ Nest is part of a larger initiative by WTTC to support emerging talent and promote innovation that addresses the industry’s biggest sustainability challenges.

The other teams also presented notable projects. The University of West London team introduced Algi, which integrates algae into wall structures to purify indoor air. The team from Cornell University developed Pyro, a compact appliance that converts food waste into biochar. The University of West Indies team created Pzylo, an innovative fabric from zeolite-infused cotton and Jamaican bamboo. Instituto Profesional Duoc UC, Chile’s team introduced Migratio, a project focused on sustainable travel experiences that connect tourists with indigenous cultures.