Student Company from Vechelde Wins State Competition
Vechelde students turn ghost nets into award-winning eco-business
Peine. A student-run business called netbag from Vechelde's Julius-Spiegelberg-Gymnasium has won first place in the IW JUNIOR state competition in Hanover with its production of bags and accessories made from ghost nets. According to a press release from IW JUNIOR gGmbH, which organizes the contest, the second-place team also hails from the Peine district.
Business concept, pitch deck, interview, and stage presentation—these are the categories in which student companies are evaluated by a jury of education and business representatives at the state competition. The award goes to the team with the most cohesive overall concept, which also includes the students' development process, their ability to handle challenges as a team, and their skill in engaging potential customers and investors.
Vechelde Student Company to Represent Lower Saxony at National Finals
At the event, netbag from Julius-Spiegelberg-Gymnasium in Vechelde outshined the competition. The team will now represent Lower Saxony at the national finals in Cologne on June 16, where Germany's top student company will be crowned.
"Our student companies combine entrepreneurial learning with practical career orientation," said Miriam Reitz, managing director of IW JUNIOR gGmbH. "Young people discover their strengths, take on responsibility, and experience firsthand how economic decisions are made. This hands-on experience helps them develop a clear understanding of the working world, entrepreneurship, and potential career paths. We create real-world learning environments that prepare young people for their future."
"We need young people who don't just see problems but have the courage and creativity to solve them with their own ideas—that's exactly what student companies achieve," said Grant Hendrik Tonne, Lower Saxony's Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, and Housing. "I would be delighted if some of these ideas later grow into the startups that drive innovation in Lower Saxony."
The runner-up was Cover-Guard, a student company from Gymnasium am Silberkamp in Peine, which developed and markets an innovative camera cover for tablets used in education. Third place went to Social Buddies from Johannes-Kepler-Gymnasium in Garbsen, which created an app for connecting social service providers. Beyond their presentations and jury interviews, the students showcased their ideas and products at individual booths during the state competition, giving them the chance to network with one another as well as with education and business professionals.
Support in Lower Saxony
In Lower Saxony, IW JUNIOR student companies receive funding from the state's Ministry for Economic Affairs, Transport, and Housing. The state competition is supported by the Hanover Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which also hosted the event.
