From August 25 to 29, TTK University of Applied Sciences will host Estonia’s first concrete 3D printing competition for students, where the best design will be printed in TTK’s new 3D concrete printing laboratory. The competition combines creativity, engineering, and cutting-edge technology, offering participants the opportunity to bring their ideas from drawings to reality.
During the competition week, participants will be guided by experts in the field from both Estonia and abroad. From Eindhoven University of Technology, Karsten Nefs and Lauri Hass will be joining the event. Nefs works on modular housing development using 3D concrete printing and sees the greatest value of the technology in its practical applications. Hass is a postdoctoral researcher whose work focuses on automated construction and 3D concrete printing. With experience both on construction sites and in research laboratories, he aims to inspire participants to combine creativity with engineering thinking.
Representing TTK University of Applied Sciences are senior lecturer and international EXEP3D project manager Aivars Alt, and 3D printing laboratory engineer Gustav Gerretz. Alt brings extensive expertise in concrete work and the application of technologies to the competition. Gerretz specializes in robot operation and code automation at TTK’s laboratory, teaching students how to approach the design phase with automated production in mind. The mentors’ role is to help participants develop ideas that are both creative and technically feasible.
The competition spans five days. On the first day, the task will be introduced and training sessions will be held. The second and third days will feature a hackathon, during which teams will work on their ideas under the guidance of mentors and present them to the jury. The fourth day is dedicated to announcing the winner and showcasing the preparations for concrete printing. On the final day, the design selected by the jury will be printed at TTK University of Applied Sciences’ 3D concrete printing laboratory.
Students from all field of studies at five Estonian universities – TTK University of Applied Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tallinn University of Technology, University of Tartu, and Estonian Academy of Arts – are invited to participate. Registration is open until August 15, 2025. Participation is free of charge, and the competition is open to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students.
The winning team will receive gift cards worth €1,200, provided by Mapri Ehitus. All participants and mentors will also receive gift bags from the sponsors.
Find out more about the competition on our website or Facebook page.
The activities are carried out within the framework of the European Union measure “Development of the IT Academy and Engineering Academy in Higher Education.” The activities are co-funded by the European Union. More information is available on the HARNO website.