Ceremony to mark the end of the 25th Ericsson Nikola Tesla Summer Camp

The end of the 25th anniversary edition of the Ericsson Nikola Tesla Summer Camp, a long-standing program that brings together students, academia and industry while providing young people with the opportunity to gain practical experience and work on real-world industry challenges, was officially marked at Ericsson Nikola Tesla.

At the closing ceremony, participants were addressed by Siniša Krajnović, PhD, President of the Management Board of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, who emphasized the importance of the program’s long-standing role in connecting young talent, academia and industry.

“Bringing together knowledge, experience and young talent is essential for creating the technologies of the future. We want to enable students to make the transition from the academic world to a real industrial environment, gain experience, meet new people and have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to concrete challenges. We encourage them to be curious, courageous, proactive and open to new challenges.”

As part of the closing ceremony, representatives of the partner faculties addressed the audience, including Prof. Vedran Bilas, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb (FER), and Prof. Dinko Begušić, PhD, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Split (FESB). On behalf of the University of Zagreb, the participants were greeted by Prof. Tomislav Josip Mlinarić, PhD, Vice-Rector for Innovation, Technology Transfer and Cooperation with Economic Sector. The closing ceremony was hosted by Andrej Grgurić, PhD, Director of Research and Innovation at Ericsson Nikola Tesla and Head of the Summer Camp, who presented the key activities and achievements of this year’s program to participants, mentors and guests.

This year’s Summer Camp brought together 47 students from 18 faculties, selected from nearly 200 applications submitted from Croatia and abroad. Over the course of five weeks, students worked on projects at three company locations in Zagreb, Split and Osijek, supported by mentors and using technologies such as AI, XR, Big Data, 5G and others, while addressing real industry challenges.

The objective of the Summer Camp extends beyond the acquisition of technical knowledge. The program enables students to develop teamwork, problem-solving and innovation skills, exchange knowledge and experiences, and get to know the industrial environment and the way of working on tangible projects.

More than 75 years of cooperation with the academic community

Ericsson Nikola Tesla’s cooperation with the academic community has been an integral part of the company’s tradition for more than 75 years, dating back to the Nikola Tesla Institute and continuing through today’s projects that connect the scientific and academic communities with industry.

Looking to the future

The closing ceremony of the anniversary Summer Camp also provided an opportunity to recognize partner faculties, distinguished individuals and students whose participation and contributions helped shape this year’s program.

“I would like to congratulate all students on successfully completing the Summer Camp and thank their mentors, partner faculties and everyone involved in organizing the program. It is precisely young talent, their knowledge and their ideas that give us reason for optimism and confidence in the future. The doors of Ericsson Nikola Tesla are open to them, and we look forward to the possibility of welcoming them one day as colleagues and collaborators,” concluded Krajnović.

The 25th anniversary edition of the Ericsson Nikola Tesla Summer Camp once again highlighted the value of long-term investment in young talent, strengthening the connection between academia and industry, and creating an environment in which knowledge, experience and new ideas can jointly contribute to the development of future technologies.