29th Neisse-Elektro 2023

On March 18, 2023, students in grades 10 through 12 from the tri-border region gathered in Zittau for the 29th “Neisse-Elektro” Electrical Engineering Olympiad, held at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Zittau University of Applied Sciences/Görlitz.

Neisse-Elektro is a competition in which one team each from the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany must solve problems in the field of electrical engineering. The students prepare for the Olympiad with the support of their teachers at their schools and through workshops at the university.

After a group lunch in the student canteen, there were 14 hands-on and experimental activities in the faculty’s largest laboratory. There was a wide variety of activities, ranging from the KIA Student Advisory Service to infrared photography, image recognition using AI, railroad signaling technology, and even a test ride on a hydrogen-powered fuel cell e-scooter printed on a 3D printer.

The awards ceremony took place in the historic Bürgersaal of Zittau City Hall. Guests included Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer, the university’s Rector Prof. Kratzsch, the Dean Prof. Worlitz, and the mayor of Zittau, Thomas Zenker. The main sponsor—VDE Dresden—was represented by Professor Gruner.

The good performers from each country were

Poland: Michał Owoc
Czech Republic: Tomáš Bezányi
Germany: Robin König

The three overall winners are all from Liberec (SPŠSE a VOŠ)

1. Tomáš Bezányi
2. Michal Mlejnek
3. Patrik Danilevič

Thanks to the sponsors Würth Elektronik, VDE Dresden, ATN Hölzel GmbH, and KIA (sandwich-style) degree course, the Olympiad was able to take place, and the winners were presented with computer monitors, hard drives, and PC accessories as prizes.

The winner, Tomáš Bezányi, is a 11th-gradestudent at the Technical High School for Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering in Liberec (SPŠSE a VOŠ Liberec). This was his first time participating in the Olympiad, and he achieved an outstanding 87% of the maximum possible points. When asked where his interest in technology comes from, he said, “My grandfather was a Mechanical Engineer and spent a lot of time tinkering and building things at home. I was often in his workshop and learned a lot from him.” Tomáš, however, was more drawn to communications engineering. At school, he worked with other students on a project to develop a function generator. This project required knowledge of electrical engineering and electronics more than ever. His teacher, Ms. Veronika Körnerová, prepared him for the Olympiad.

In 1995, the idea for a cross-border Olympiad was born at what was then the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. Since then, students from the tri-border region have been testing their knowledge in the field of electrical engineering every year. The Czech Republic has produced the winner 14 times, Germany 13 times, and Poland once.

The winner of the 7th Olympiad in 2001 was Ondrej Svarc, a student at the high school in Varnsdorf (VOŠa SŠ Varnsdorf). The following year, he planned to begin his studies. He had already been accepted to the Technical University of Prague. Through the Neisse-Elektro competition, he learned about Zittau University of Applied Sciences. He withdrew his application in Prague and decided to study abroad in Zittau. Ondrej attended the language preparatory program and studied mechatronics. After graduating, he worked as a design engineer and process engineer at regional companies. In the fall of 2022, he came full circle and returned to the university after nearly 20 years. As a laboratory engineer in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, he helps today’s students understand electrical engineering.

There was one winner from Germany at the 2000 Olympiad. Egmont Schreiter was attending the technical high school in Zittau at the time and was participating for the first time. After completing his vocational training as an electronics technician, he became so enthusiastic about electrical engineering that he decided to pursue a degree. So he began studying electrical engineering at the university, specializing in communications engineering. He gained his first industry experience during his studies in Munich at Rohde & Schwarz in the field of terrestrial TV transmitters. A few years later, his path led him back to the university, first to electronics development and firmware programming at the Institute for Process Engineering, Process Automation, and Measurement Technology (IPM), and later as a laboratory engineer in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. So it comes as no surprise that Egmont Schreiter took over the organization of the Olympiad from Dr. Menzel in 2014.