ThalesArduino Launches for another year.

You may not have heard of Thales, a global engineering and technology company , but if you’re studying engineering, physics, math or computer science it’s a name to take note of because you may meet Thales soon…

In fact, to reach out to and attract the very best and brightest college students, Thales created a unique challenge, called Project Arduino. Now in its third year, Project Arduino offers students the opportunity to learn new skills, win prizes, and get their foot in the door with one of the world’s most innovative companies.

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on hardware and software that anyone can use—like the LEGO blocks of electronics. Gemma Minish, in charge of the initiative at Thales, tells us more about the competition and what it takes to win.

Why did Thales start Project Arduino?
Although we’re a huge global company with innovations that touch peoples’ lives every day, we’re not a household name—we’re probably the biggest company you have never heard of! Together we supply invention, ingenuity and inspiration across five core areas: Aerospace, space, ground transportation, defense and security. So in order to raise awareness of the company and attract top talent straight from university, we launched Project Arduino. 

What kind of participation do you see each year?
The first year of the project was run only with U.K. students, then last year we opened it up to two U.S. universities. We had 268 students apply for 144 places in the U.K. competition, and 122 students apply for 48 places in the U.S.—there are 24 from each university.  This year we’re expanding to six U.K. universities and six U.S. universities to make the international dimension more central to the competition and are expecting a record number of participants.

Tell us about some past winners. 
One of my favorites was “Team Helmet” from the University of Southampton in the U.K. They created a helmet that could remotely monitor a soldier’s temperature and orientation whilst in the field. Obviously when training in extreme temperatures and traversing through rough terrain, soldiers will often push themselves to extremes – even whilst carrying heavy equipment loads.  Ensuring they do not exert themselves beyond safe limits is vital to maintaining their long-term readiness. As a global leader in supplying portable soldier systems, this idea was very relevant to our business.

What kind of effect can applying and winning have on students’ careers?
The challenge provides the opportunity to learn applicable teamwork skills and learn a new technical skill outside of what they’re studying. We partner the students up with our own engineers to train them how to work with an Arduino, so it’s a great networking opportunity. In addition, some of our winners have even been featured in the local media!

What advice do you have for applicants?
Clearly articulate why you want to participate. We are looking for students who can explain why they are interested: Do they want to learn about Thales or gain a new skill? We pick the best for those 24 spaces per university. In terms of winning the competition, you should really research the company so your submission is in line with our business. And, focus on your video because that’s what is judged in the final stage of the competition. The team that won last year—Team LockDuino, they created a door-locking app—had a great video and that really helped market their idea.

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