Engineering students win the finale of the Startech program

The finale of the Startech program took place on Tuesday October 14, and was won by a team of ULiège engineering students with their TremoTech project. More about the project with Arielle ASSOUAD, a Master's student in aerospace engineering and one of TremoTech's creators.

TremoTech is an ingenious anti-shock stabilizer system developed by Arielle ASSOUAD (Master's degree in civil aerospace engineering, specializing in aerospace engineering), Cyril DELHAYE (Master's degree in civil energy engineering, specializing in energy conversion), Romain DEMEZ (Master's degree in civil aerospace engineering, specializing in aerospace engineering) and Cyril NACTERGAL (Master's degree in civil aerospace engineering, specializing in aerospace engineering). The four students have designed a universal handle into which various objects can be inserted, such as a spoon, fork, pencil, toothbrush or even lipstick, and which helps to stabilize involuntary tremors.

Interview with Arielle ASSOUAD on the TremoTech project and the Startech program

ULiège: How did you come up with the idea for the TremoTech project?

Arielle ASSOUAD: In the first course of the Startech program, we had to come up with several ideas for start-ups. I wanted to create something simple, but which could really be useful and valuable. In my research, I discovered that many people suffer from tremors and have difficulty performing everyday tasks without help. This observation inspired me to look for a concrete solution.

ULiège: What does the project involve?

A.A: TremoTech is the design of a universal handle into which you can insert different tips such as a spoon, a fork, a pencil, a toothbrush or even a lipstick. The aim is for this handle to automatically adapt to involuntary tremors, stabilizing the gesture and enabling the user to regain control of their movement. We have already produced an initial electronic prototype capable of keeping a spoon horizontally stable.

ULiège: What are/can be the tangible applications in real life?

A.A : Our first objective is to help people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases or tremors to regain their autonomy. But we're also thinking of integrating the device more widely, for example in nursing homes or care institutions, to provide relief for users, carers and nursing staff.

ULiège: How come you took part in Startech?

A.A : I'd heard a lot of good things about the program and, having grown up in a family of entrepreneurs, I was keen to explore this aspect of the engineering profession. The other three members of the team weren't enrolled in the course, but they were immediately interested in the project when I told them about it, and decided to get involved afterwards.

ULiège: Does your participation in Startech make you want to become an entrepreneur later on (not necessarily in the sector of your project)?

A.A : Yes, of course. Startech made me want to be an entrepreneur, not just in this field, but in general. I discovered the challenges and richness of this type of project: moving forward on several fronts at once, finding concrete solutions, working independently... It's a very formative experience, which makes you want to continue along this path.

ULiège: What do you retain overall from the Startech experience?

A.A: What I remember most is that there's a real gap between academic studies and the world of entrepreneurship. It's a good thing to be able to experience it before finishing your studies, because you learn things that no theoretical course can really convey: team management, human contact, communication, marketing, building a financial plan, or even defending a project in front of investors.

The Startech competition

After 10 weeks of workshops, prototyping and intensive coaching, 8 teams of engineering students from all over Wallonia presented their projects to a jury of passionate professionals, supported by partners such as Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX), Wallonie Entreprendre, and Quimesis Engineering your ideas.

Created in 2011 by IGNITY, Startech aims to introduce Walloon engineering students to entrepreneurship. Over 10 sessions, participants were able to develop and build their innovative projects. At the end of the program, each of the 8 teams still in the running pitched their project to a panel of professionals.