Courses
Invent for the Planet 2026 World Finals: Global youth innovation takes centre stage at ATU
Atlantic Technological University (ATU) recently concluded the World Finals of Invent for the Planet (IFTP) 2026. The event, held at the University’s Galway City campus, brought together student teams from the USA, Lebanon, Mexico, Jordan, Brazil and Ireland to address urgent global challenges in engineering, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.
This marks only the second time the world finals have been held outside of Texas. The event, which was attended by Deputy Mayor of the City of Galway, Cllr Alan Cheevers, was due to take place in Qatar but due to the current crisis in the Middle East an alternative location was needed at short notice and ATU stepped in to host.
The competition itself is built around an intensive, collaborative model, where student teams are tasked with developing solutions to real-world challenges within a constrained timeframe. Since its introduction in Ireland in 2022, the programme has been developed through a strategic partnership involving ATU, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and the Marine Institute, alongside international leadership from the Meloy Programme at Texas A&M University.
Welcoming the teams from around the world, Dr Orla Flynn, President of Atlantic Technological University, said:
It was a privilege to host the Invent for the Planet World Finals at ATU, bringing together talented students from across the globe to work on real and pressing challenges. We are especially proud of Team Connect, with students from three universities in Ireland, and their achievement in finishing third in the world as well as winning the People’s Choice Award. Their success reflects the strength of collaboration across Irish higher education and the ability of our students to compete and succeed on an international stage. Events like this demonstrate the power of partnership between education, industry and global networks in supporting innovation and the next generation of problem-solvers.
After a packed weekend of planning and presentations, the international winners were announced. First place went to Team HexCrate from Texas A&M University, whose solution addressed post‑harvest food loss, while second place was awarded to Team TerraCell from the Lebanese American University, reflecting the truly global nature of the competition.
Representing Ireland, Team Connect, comprising students from ATU, University College Cork and the University of Galway, secured third place overall and the People’s Choice Award, placing them among the top innovators from 32 universities worldwide. Their project, WasteLess, a practical app designed to reduce food waste in the home, drew strong support both from the judging panel and their international peers.
Receiving their award the Irish team said, “Representing Ireland on a global stage and finishing 3rd overall out of 32 universities worldwide was an incredible achievement. Our aim is to encourage people to ‘Use What They Have And Waste Less.’ Finishing 3rd in the world and winning the People’s Choice Award feels surreal. Another highlight was the opportunity to meet and connect with students from all around the world—building friendships and sharing experiences.”
Team Connect shared the third-place position with Team LeafLock from Jordan, whose members spoke warmly of the welcome they received in Ireland following a challenging journey to attend.
Jim Donnell, Professor of Practice and Executive Director, Texas A&M University said, “Invent for the Planet is the single most important international collegiate-level competition today. The event brings together dozens of universities from almost every continent to solve the world’s most pressing problems. This year’s theme was “Reimagining Food Systems for a Resilient Planet” and the student teams created amazing and innovative solutions over a 48-hour intensive weekend during local events in mid-February. Then, the top 7 teams from six different countries competed in the finals at ATU in early May. It was a magical few days during which our hosts showcased some of the gems of Ireland and the student teams shared their respective cultures and creativity.”
Dr Jack Saad, ATU lecturer and IFTP coordinator said that beyond the competition, the highlight of the week was the amazing spirit of the students;
The way the international students mixed, they did compete but they also became friends. It was simple—that was our goal as the host team and we were so proud seeing this young generation becoming friends and pushing each other to do better in a healthy competitive environment. To see them mixing and their openness to become friends with no borders was wonderful; it gives us great hope for a better future.
The students also experienced a uniquely Irish surprise during their Galway city tour on Saturday. While walking through the streets, they happened to cross paths with the President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly. The international students were amazed to see a head of state walking so freely among the people, a coincidence that left a lasting impression of Irish openness and hospitality before they headed to Salthill to dip their toes in the Atlantic.
IFTP 2026 World Finals Results:
First Place: Team HexCrate – Texas A&M University (USA)
“Post-harvest loss is one of the most solvable problems in global food security… HexCrate proves that the simplest solution, built from what the farm already throws away, can protect the harvest all the way to the table.”
Second Place: TerraCell – Lebanese American University (Lebanon)
“Invent for the Planet was one of the most fun and memorable experiences we’ve had at university… Bringing home second place was a huge bonus to an already great time.”
Third Place (Tie) & People’s Choice: Team Connect (Ireland) and Team LeafLock (Jordan)
Team Connect, representing the host nation (ATU, UCC, and NUIG) with their food-waste app WasteLess, achieved a double victory by securing Third Place overall and winning the People’s Choice Award.
“Representing Ireland on a global stage and finishing 3rd overall out of 32 universities worldwide was an incredible achievement… Our aim is to encourage people to ‘Use What They Have And Waste Less.’ Finishing 3rd in the world and winning the People’s Choice Award feels surreal. Another highlight was the opportunity to meet and connect with students from all around the world—building friendships and sharing experiences.”
The team shared the third-place podium with Team LeafLock from Al Hussein Technical University.
“As Team LeafLock, we were incredibly proud to represent Jordan as finalists… Ireland welcomed us with open arms, and Team LeafLock will always carry this experience with immense pride and gratitude. We love Ireland!”
Special Award for Commitment: Team Brazil
A special Award for Commitment was presented to the team from Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (Brazil). Having decided to attend the finals at the last minute and traveling as a self-funded team, their dedication was a true highlight of the event.
The success of the world finals was made possible through a massive collaborative effort between BIM, the Marine Institute, AMCS Group, and ATU. Special thanks go to the Meloy Program at Texas A&M for leading IFTP globally and their support and teamwork in planning the finals.
One of the event judges, Arun Ramaraj
from Portfolio Product Manager, AMCS Limerick, said it was an inspiring experience,
“Being a judge at Invent for the Planet Galway was one of the most inspiring experiences I’ve had in a long time. The level of creativity, dedication, and real-world thinking that the teams brought to the table was truly remarkable. It was incredible to see young innovators tackling some of the planet’s biggest challenges with such energy and passion. Events like this give me enormous hope for the future, and I feel honoured to have played a small part in celebrating their brilliant ideas!”
Photo captions:
Featured photo:
Photo 1: First place Team HexCrate from Texas A&M University (USA) at the Invent for the Planet 2026 World Finals.
Photo 2: Second place Team TerraCell from Lebanese American University (Lebanon) at the Invent for the Planet 2026 World Finals.
Photo 3: Third place (tie) Team Connect (Ireland) at the Invent for the Planet 2026 World Finals.
Photo 4: Third place (tie) Team LeafLock (Jordan) at the Invent for the Planet 2026 World Finals.
For media enquiries, contact:
Aidan Haughey
Communications Manager
Tel: 086 086 6913
E: aidan.haughey@atu.ie
