It’s been an incredible honour to participate at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) 2024 in Katowice, Poland, representing Switzerland and the beautiful sport of paragliding. Presenting my technology aimed at increasing safety in paragliding to a jury of globally recognized scientists, receiving appreciation and recognition for my research both from the EUCYS jury as well as the European public and most importantly being surrounded by 146 incredibly talented young scientists from EU and non-EU countries, all passionately working on their impressive research projects, has been one of the most enriching and humbling experiences of my life. Let me take you on a journey through my week in Katowice, giving you first-hand thoughts and insights on my experiences, most memorable moments, challenges and achievements. Enjoy, safe flights & happy landings.
INTRODUCTION
What an honour it’s been to represent Switzerland and the beautiful sport of paragliding at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) 2024, which was being held in Katowice, Poland. Let’s reflect on my time at EUCYS, where I presented my research project and had the honour of winning both one of four Third Prizes and a Special Prize. It was an event that not only celebrated scientific achievement but also fostered international friendships and a deep
passion for research.
EUCYS is an annual event, organised and supported by the European Commission, that brings together incredibly talented young researchers from across Europe and beyond. In 2024, the contest was held in Katowice, Poland, where 146 participants from 37 EU and non-EU countries came together to showcase their projects. My entry, Pushing the Limits – Active Safety in Paragliding, aims to introduce a technological solution that enhances the safety of paragliding flights by predicting hazardous situations in advance and preventing a significant number of reported accidents.
The experience was not only about the awards but most importantly about fostering a sense of curiosity, collaboration, and shared enthusiasm for science. This report details my project journey, the challenges, key takeaways from the event, and my reflections on the personal and professional impact EUCYS might have on my future.
JOURNEY TO EUCYS
The development of the technology introduced in my project shown at EUCYS required three years of research, experimentation, and collaboration with industry representatives as well as fellow paraglider pilots, being split into multiple sprints. The idea for the project stemmed from my passion for paragliding and the recognition of safety challenges within the sport. The project’s goal was to develop a predictive safety technology that could help prevent accidents
by identifying potentially dangerous flight scenarios in real-time before they physically occur, which might allow for a significant reduction of the number of reported accidents in the future. Throughout the initial development process by the years of 2022 and early 2023, I was able to lay the scientific foundation for numerically analysing dangerous flight scenarios in paragliding, gaining a deep understanding of relevant physical phenomena and glider aerodynamics. This
knowledge I then applied in isolated simulation models which can represent specific paraglider wing states based on simplified environmental conditions and flight parameters. The initial sprint was concluded by the implementation of a functioning predictive technology, proving the big potential of my project by demonstrating technical possibilities and listing potential of improvement.
After the first sprint of my project, I initially focused on completing high school (Gymnasium) and had to put the project on hold for a moment. However, the fascination, ideas, and passion for the project continued to grow in the background, and after finishing school in 2023, I seized the opportunity to continue working on it. The next step for me was the participation at the National Contest of Swiss Youth in Science 2024, which lead to big advancements of my technology.
The National Contest of Swiss Youth in Science began with an intense preparation phase. During this time, I was able to make significant progress in my applied simulation models and implement a comprehensive software package, which made the developed technology compatible with any type of paraglider. The precision of the predictive technology was significantly improved, and the commercialization of the project became feasible at this point. During my time with Swiss Youth in Science I was able to further prove the potential of my technology, which led me to found a company in summer 2024. The company is dedicated to further improve the technology, foster industry collaborations and community feedback and finally to let the project take of as a project in the future. During the same timeframe I applied for a patent to strengthen the economic feasibility of the project. Thus, the state of my project
shown at EUCYS has been a dedicated company holding my patent-pending technology and most importantly an unlimited fascination for paragliding and science. Close to three years of research finally led to my participation at EUCYS 2024, which was an incredible honour and one of the most humbling and enriching things I’ve ever experienced. Please read more about my time in Katowice, Poland on the subsequent pages. During the full development period I received invaluable support from my mentors and peers. I want to thank all and everybody who in some way has been part of this incredibly enriching
and fascinating journey. The journey was not without challenges – navigating the technical aspects of the project, overcoming setbacks in data processing and engineering, and finalizing the patent process required perseverance. However, the experience was a tremendous learning opportunity, which I’m very grateful for.
DAY 1
The first day at EUCYS was all about travelling, setting up the equipment, and getting to know Katowice, Poland. However, the journey to Katowice was not quite as relaxed and exciting as I expected. As Team Switzerland, we all travelled together from Zurich, arriving at Krakow Airport by plane and driving the rest of the distance to Katowice by car. Due to the scientific equipment I was transporting, I was initially stopped and questioned by the police at the airport as my luggage triggered a security alarm in Zurich. This unpleasant experience unfortunately led to the late arrival of one of my pieces of luggage. Thankfully, I was ultimately allowed to board the flight to Poland. After overcoming a few problems at customs in Poland, we were finally able to travel to the event location in Katowice. Once there, we set up our equipment, had our first chat with other participants, and relaxed after the exhausting trip. We ended the day with a nice dinner together and went back to the hotel early to prepare for the next day.
DAY 2
The second day was already one of three competition days! Upon arriving in Katowice, I was struck by the vibrant energy of the event. But the excitement really hit me on the second day, as we met so many young scientists with a thousand stories and even more details about their research. The competition then opened with a beautiful ceremony featuring music, interesting speeches, and dance performances. My personal highlight was waving the Swiss flag among the other 36 flags on stage, realizing how exciting and exhausting the following days would be. After the official opening, the hard work began. We returned to our booths to perform last-minute adjustments and prepare for the first of many jury sessions. The jury sessions were the heart of the event, where we pitched our projects, explained specific aspects in great detail, and took notes on input for improvement or new perspectives from the jury members. Although no direct feedback was provided, I still took away many enriching thoughts and ideas from the discussions that will guide future development of my project. The main task at EUCYS was to attend our stands, present our projects to the jury (we had five jury visits in total), and spend quality time with other participants. Day 2 was special for Team Switzerland, as we had the honour of meeting the Swiss Ambassador and diplomat Luca Laloli. They visited our stands, and it was a big pleasure to showcase our projects and talk about their important work at the Swiss Embassy in Poland. We ended the day with a visit to a local planetarium and a delicious dinner, where we continued making lifelong friends with other participants.
DAY 3 & 4
Days three and four were similar to day two in terms of jury sessions. Over time, being judged all day long was very exhausting, but I focused on the jury sessions and relaxed by taking every opportunity to talk to interested visitors and media, as the event was open to the public. It was enriching to see people interested in my project and wanting to know every little detail about it. I was particularly happy to meet some visitors with a personal background in hang gliding, who understood the safety concerns in the paragliding community. Their feedback was motivating, and these encounters keep me pushing for continued innovation and research. Aside from pitching our projects, we also found time for social activities. Away from the stress of the jury sessions and public exhibition, we spent time together as Team Switzerland, relaxing and supporting each other. We went for a walk in the city, ate pizza, played music on a public piano, and celebrated Nora’s birthday. It was an eventful few days!
DAY 5
Day five was the final day of the competition, which meant: AWARD CEREMONY. For me, this day felt incredibly far away at the beginning of the week. I travelled to Poland with the mindset that I wouldn’t win any prize and defined success as gaining exciting experiences, meeting interesting people, and growing as a person. None of us in Team Switzerland could have imagined what EUCYS had in store for us. After a relaxed morning, we walked to the award ceremony venue and had a hearty lunch. Our nervousness increased noticeably as we made our way to the ceremony hall. We took a few pictures with the Swiss flag and then took our seats. The event began with the European anthem—goosebumps! There were inspiring speeches, including one from Wainer Lusoli, Deputy Head of the ERA and Research Infrastructures Unit of the EU. Then came the awards. There were special prizes and 12 main prizes divided into 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. We could hardly believe that everyone from Team Switzerland won a special prize! I was honoured to receive a 3rd prize. The emotions were overwhelming—I can hardly put into words how happy I was. We had all finished the event overjoyed with our results, grateful for the experiences and encounters, and receiving prizes on top of that was simply incredible. I quickly realized it would take time to process all the emotions. I tried to enjoy the evening, the closing party with the other participants, and I made a few calls home to share the joy. I was already looking forward to writing this report to relive all the fond memories.
DAY 6
Day six was the final day of our journey in Katowice, and we left our hotel early, heading home. If I had known what awaited me in Switzerland, I would definitely have slept more that night! As we marched out of the terminal in the arrival area, a cheer erupted with bells and flags. My closest friends and family had gathered at the airport with a huge Swiss flag to celebrate Team Switzerland. Later, we met at home for a hearty meal and celebrated the successful week. I was incredibly happy and grateful for such great experiences, and for my unbeatable friends and family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
SPECIAL INSIGHTS
EUCYS 2024 has been incredibly enriching and I’d like to share some personal insights.
ACHIEVMENTS AND AWARDS
Personally, the week at EUCYS has not been about winning. It’s been about the fascination with science. It’s been about creating long-lasting friendships across the world. Ultimately, it’s been about passion and people. Meeting 146 fellow young scientists from 37 EU and non-EU countries, all passionately working on their impressive research projects, has been one of the most enriching and humbling experiences of my life. I’m particularly proud of the Swiss delegation, which achieved an outstanding result as a team. We won four prizes in total, three special prizes and one main prize, which I’m incredibly proud of. Congratulations to Jakob Schildhauer and Nora Artico for their dedication and perseverance with their projects, which led them to win Special Awards at the national Swiss Youth in Science contest, and now, at EUCYS 2024.
Personally, I’m thrilled with the achievements of the week in Katowice, Poland. It’s been incredible to meet so many fascinating people, and I’m deeply grateful for the appreciation and recognition I received for my research. Flying home with both a Special Prize – the same one as Nora Artico – and the overall Third Prize, awarded by a globally recognized jury, was an amazing feeling. I’m tremendously grateful for all the opportunities and experiences that came together during my time at EUCYS. What an honour it was to represent Switzerland and the wonderful sport of paragliding at EUCYS 2024!
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
The amount of knowledge shared at EUCYS is incredible – science communication skills, technical knowledge, interdisciplinary topics. For me personally, EUCYS has been a huge success, especially in terms of my professional future. Shortly before EUCYS, I founded a company and applied for a patent for my technology. I’m very grateful now that my work has been recognized and supported by the internationally renowned jury, and that I can continue this work within the framework of my company. Let’s see where this passionate path leads to!
CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED
“Science is all about hard work. It’s not about talent. It’s not about luck. It really is about hard work.” This was drilled into our brains during the opening ceremony, and that’s how we approached the week. We gave our best and put all our energy into our projects – just as we had done in the months and years leading up to this point. There were many moments during the development of my project when giving up would have been the easier option.At the time of the initial publication of my research, my technology wasn’t even working. The paragliding community didn’t always respond openly to my vision. Setbacks are as much a part of the scientific journey as tough criticism. But success moments are just as much a part of it, along with positive feedback and appreciation. Keep going, face the reality of things, and keep up the courage to try the next step of research to finally make the project work – that’s my main lesson learned. Nobody’s journey at EUCYS was a straight line and seing this indeed was very inspiring. We all overcame hurdles and never gave up.
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS
My personal highlight was meeting all the fascinating people. Whether it was the other participants, the jury members, the national organizers, local visitors, or students from the local universities. One person, in particular, stands out in my memory: Piotr. He visited us every day, encouraged us, bombarded us with challenging questions, and kept our spirits high. It was wonderful to connect with local students and feel that appreciation. For the journey home, he even gave us a small gift. Made my day!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A special thank you goes to everyone who supported me throughout the journey of developing a technology that can make paragliding safer in the future. What started as a vision three years ago now is a patent-pending technology and a part of my company, InnoThunder GmbH. This would not have been possible without the continued support of my coaches, friends, family, industry experts, and many others. Thank you to Albert Kern from my local high school (Kantonsschule Zürcher Oberland, KZO) for the continued support until and after the initial publication of my research. Thank you to Ronald Luijten, Francis Kuhlen and Melanie Seiler from Swiss Youth in Science (Schweizer Jugend forscht, SJf) for pushing and supporting me in the process of rethinking my project and significantly advancing my techology, both for the National Contest of Swiss Youth in Science 2024 as well as for EUCYS 2024. Thank you to Megura AG for their support with the realisation of my posters and flyers for EUCYS 2024. Thank you to Andreas Bischoff GmbH for supporting me in fabricating the latest exhibition model used at EUCYS 2024 to showcase my technology as well as rock-solid transportation boxes for air transport. Thank you to the European Commission and the team at EUCYS 2024 for their tireless efforts and support. What a beautiful time it’s been, hence my last thank you goes to all and everybody who made the week in Katowice so memorable.
All the best, safe flights and happy landings!
Nicolas