THREE Industrial Engineering students from Saint Louis University clinched the second runner-up honors in the Prosperity Category of the prestigious Swiss Innovation Prize Competition 2024.

Hazael Barino, Robelyn Malla, and Alenklien Tongnaw were recognized by the Embassy of Switzerland and the Swiss Cultural Fund for their paper, Project IE: Innovative Food Process Manufacturing with Learning Technology and Dynamic Pricing System.

Their entry was selected as a finalist after two rigorous screening rounds, standing out among 162 submissions from undergraduate and graduate students, as well as young professionals nationwide.

The team developed their winning project during on-the-job training at Session Groceries, under the mentorship of Iloisa Romaraog-Diga. They received coaching and preparation from Engr. Anthony James Domingo of SLU’s Industrial Engineering Department.

Before the competition, the students visited Swiss companies for industry exposure and participated in leadership training with Swiss company leaders, as well as officials from the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

“Through this event, the SLU IE students were able to leverage their knowledge of IE principles that they learned from SLU to accomplish the project, aligning it with several Sustainable Development Goals like SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The project is focused on helping farmers increase their income and reduce food waste,” the school stated.