Members of Team ALGI at the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge competition
Members of Team ALGI at the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge competition

UWL students’ sustainable innovation impresses judges at a global event in Switzerland

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Students from the London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism (LGCHT) have successfully made it through to the finals of the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge that featured over 100 innovative concepts from over 60 universities worldwide. The competition aims to enhance the evolution of sustainable hospitality.

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The event, taking place in Montreaux, Switzerland and sponsored by several of the biggest names in the global hospitality industry, was attended by over 30,000 guests.

‘Team ALGI’, as they are called, impressed the judging panel with their innovative sustainable ventilation systems in hotels and are now within reach of winning investment to develop industry applications of their innovation.

A hotel room integrating sustainable materials and natural feature walls

Air quality in hotel rooms is important not just for the best possible customer experience but also for guest health. The industry spends 20-30% of operating energy costs on ventilation; however, indoor air quality in rooms is poorly monitored. The team of three undergraduate Hospitality Management students, Rahul Dahiya, Marco Palamara and Andrei-Mihai Iftimie, developed an algae-based system that purifies the air, reduces energy consumption and provides real-time data tracking of room air quality for guests and hoteliers.

A member of the judging panel, Gustaf Lantz (Senior Vice President for APAC & EMEA region at Guest Worldwide) said

This team really hit the mark at relooking at transforming the way we build hotels, the way we look at construction and the way we impact this world.”

The team are already scoping commercial applications for their innovation, working closely with UWL’s Westmont Enterprise Hub team to develop their concept into an investable business.

A hotel room integrating sustainable materials and natural feature walls

Rahul Dahiya, a BSc (Hons) International Hospitality Management student at UWL and member of Team Algi, said:

All of us in the team are immensely pleased that our concept has gained such recognition at this prestigious international event. It is the culmination of months of hard work that started as a coursework and enabled us to apply our passion for finding nature-based solutions to address climate crisis.

We are also thrilled about the commercial prospects and the entrepreneurial opportunities it gives us for our future after graduation. 

We are enormously grateful to UWL for the opportunity, and especially would like to thank our Dean James Edmunds, our mentor Jayanti and the Westmont Hub team for their invaluable support and encouragement”

Dr Suresh Gamlath, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Business Development) at UWL, said:

The sustainable solution that the students have created and the acclaim they received from the judging panel are both incredible achievements – they have done UWL proud. It also highlights the excellent work of the academic team in successfully embedding sustainability in the curriculum.

I wish Team Algi the very best in the finals and in realising the full entrepreneurial potential of their innovation.”

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