The first Henkel Innovation Challenge started with six teams from Western Europe: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.The international finals was held at the Mediterranean Sea in Barcelona with a deservable winner: the Spanish Team "Veni Vidi Innovate".
They won a trip to Istanbul, one of the worlds most fascinating cities.

Results:

1. Spain; 2. Germany; 3. the Netherlands

Mireia Armengol Alfonso, Óscar-Jan Batista Mazurca and Borja Soler Tiana from ESADE University, Spain

We attended two presentations in our university in Barcelona, ESADE, one in the new auditorium and the other one in a class after a marketing lesson. There we first heard of the Henkel Innovation Challenge.

We decided to participate because the three of us all love challenges, we wanted to know more about Henkel and carrying out a project concerning an innovation for the year 2050 was definitively something very challenging. Besides we had the opportunity to get to know students from all over the world and we got a closer look into the business world.

Actually the relationship with foreign students was a great experience. The Henkel Innovation Challenge was a really challenging business game, where we had the chance to put in practice our team-work and presentation skills. As a result, we got the chance to go to Istanbul. The trip was full of touristic, cultural, entertaining and adventurous activities. The off-road driving experience was one of the unforgettable highlights of the trip.

Talking about the mentorship, it is probably the most advantageous point for the Henkel Innovation Challenge compared to other games and that is one of the best impressions we got from the game. Overall, we can say that it has been one of the best experiences in our lives. It has been a great pleasure thinking about the future and a business solution for Henkel in 2050. During the competition you will discover lots of things about yourself. You will see how well you work in a team, which role you usually play in it, how you interact with people, how you negotiate and how you accept feedback.

Finally, we would definitely recommend to all students to take part in the Henkel Innovation Challenge. It is amazing what you can learn in a brief period of time, especially if you have the luck to arrive at the finals and learn from top directives from all over the world. Last but not least the internship we are experiencing at Henkel in Spain is a great opportunity for us.