Press release -
Hospitality, Politecnico di Milano students win the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge drawing inspiration from oysters
World competition triumph with Hòstraka, the first floating resort dedicated to diving and sustainable sea experiences
Milan, 3 October 2023 - Students from Politecnico di Milano have won the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge, an international competition organised by Hotelschool The Hague with the support of NEOM.
The initiative, now in its seventh edition, involves 40 international universities called upon to come up with innovative concepts to promote sustainable development of the global hospitality industry.
For the first time, the contest was open to technical universities with a focus on engineering, architecture and design such as Politecnico di Milano.
During the finals held in Abu Dhabi at the Future Hospitality Summit, students Rosanna Caldarella, Giulia Ettori, Davide Grasso and Elisa Schembri from the Laurea programme in Interior Design, led by Professor Elena Elgani, were awarded a prize. Their project was selected from 5 finalists in a competition involving 50 concepts from all over the world.
Politecnico di Milano’s School of Design participated with four groups that passed the first selection and proceeded to the semifinals in Amsterdam in June.
This year's competition theme, 'One with Nature', focused on the urgency of preserving and regenerating ecosystems. The students were given the task of developing solutions that combined sustainability with the evolving needs of modern travellers.
The winning team presented Hòstraka, the first floating resort dedicated to diving and sustainable sea experiences, at the forefront of maritime ecosystem protection. The project aimed to demonstrate that sustainable lifestyles are compatible with memorable sea adventures for guests.
‘Sustainable innovation in hospitality is driven by design strategies, creating immersive experiences that offer unique adventures, linked to local natural settings,’ explain the young designers. ‘We draw inspiration from oysters, which can turn adversity into shining pearls. We want to inspire individuals to emulate the timeless wisdom of nature by offering them the Sustainable Pearl Experience, a tailor-made opportunity for guests to indulge in a luxury experience in their private suite, actively participating in the collection of microplastics from the sea. Guests will experience the sea as no one ever did before: by respecting it'.
The winners will attend the 23rd World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, from 1 to 3 November and meet with NEOM's designers so that the project can come true.
Topics
Politecnico di Milano is a scientific-technological university which trains engineers, architects and industrial designers.
The University has always focused on the quality and innovation of its teaching and research, developing a fruitful relationship with business and productive world by means of experimental research and technological transfer.
Research has always been linked to didactics and it is a priority commitment which has allowed Politecnico Milano to achieve high quality results at an international level as to join the university to the business world. Research constitutes a parallel path to that formed by cooperation and alliances with the industrial system.
Knowing the world in which you are going to work is a vital requirement for training students. By referring back to the needs of the industrial world and public administration, research is facilitated in following new paths and dealing with the need for constant and rapid innovation. The alliance with the industrial world, in many cases favored by Fondazione Politecnico and by consortiums to which Politecnico belong, allows the university to follow the vocation of the territories in which it operates and to be a stimulus for their development.
The challenge which is being met today projects this tradition which is strongly rooted in the territory beyond the borders of the country, in a relationship which is developing first of all at the European level with the objective of contributing to the creation of a single professional training market. Politecnico takes part in several research, sites and training projects collaborating with the most qualified European universities. Politecnico's contribution is increasingly being extended to other countries: from North America to Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe. Today the drive to internationalization sees Politecnico Milano taking part into the European and world network of leading technical universities and it offers several courses beside many which are entirely taught in English.
