The experts of the System Operator selected the best student projects at the CASE-IN selection stage in Smolensk

The qualifying stage of the International Engineering CASE-IN Championship, which is being held with the support of the presidential platform "Russia — the Land of Opportunities", has been successfully completed in the Smolensk branch of the National Research University of Mechanical Engineering.

Digital twins, artificial intelligence and end–to-end technologies - the participants of the XIV season of the CASE-IN championship in 2026 had to work on these solutions within the framework of the theme "Technologies of the future". The contestants presented the results of their work to the expert commission. The jury consists of a Branch of the System Operator Smolenskoye railway station Sergey Sobolevsky, Head of the Energy Modes and Balances Service, and Alexey Shepelev, Head of the Relay Protection and Automation Service, entered. 

The student teams were offered a case study on "Developing a regional energy system based on future technologies." During the case study, the participants developed a concept for the development of the regional energy system based on future technologies with the introduction of intelligent digital engineering solutions that will increase the reliability, energy efficiency and flexibility of the energy system. In addition, the teams had to evaluate the technical and economic impact of each proposed solution and answer expert questions during the project defense.

Four teams, consisting mainly of undergraduates from the field of Electrical Power Engineering and Electrical Engineering, presented their developments to the jury. During the face-to-face defense, experts assessed not only the technical elaboration of projects, but also a set of key competencies: understanding the economic mechanisms of the industry, project management skills and the ability to work productively as a team. All the teams demonstrated a high level of these criteria, earning a positive assessment from the commission.

According to the results of the case defense, the contestants from the Wattberry team won: Ivan Prokhorenkov, Alexandra Lemesheva, Ivan Goncharov, Artyom Tolstous. The guys became the leaders of the qualifying stage and will now defend the honor of the university in the semi-finals of the championship.

"The CASE‑IN format is as close as possible to real production tasks. This allows participants not only to show their knowledge, but also to develop teamwork, presentation, and critical analysis skills. It's nice to see that students are thinking big: they don't limit themselves to learning patterns, but offer bold but informed solutions. I hope that the knowledge and competencies gained during the qualifying round will benefit them in their educational and scientific activities," said the expert of the championship. Alexey Shepelev.

The Smolensk branch of the National Research University "MEI" is one of the partner universities of the System Operator. As part of the long-term cooperation, an action plan for the development of cooperation is developed and approved annually between the Smolensk branch of the MEI and the company, aimed at strengthening cooperation in the field of personnel training and the development of educational programs. The plan provides for joint systematic conduct of career guidance events – open days, round tables, thematic excursions. Special attention is paid to the support of student projects, including the participation of the university team in the student league of the International Engineering CASE‑IN Championship.

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