Students from TU Chemnitz Win International Airbus Innovation Competition
The winning team "Aeromorph" from TU Chemnitz was awarded the prestigious Airbus Fly Your Ideas Global Prize on June 20, 2025, at the Paris International Airshow
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Clinton Ikechukwu, Oghosa Abu, and Muhammad Junaid Ali (from left to right) at Le Bourget Airport in Paris with their award, which they received in the international Airbus innovation competition. Photo: private
Students Clinton Ikechukwu, Muhammad Junaid Ali, and Oghosa Abu from Chemnitz University of Technology triumphed over 300 student teams from 49 countries with their concept of an artificial intelligence system designed to assist pilots during emergency landing scenarios. For their innovation, they received the Airbus Fly Your Ideas Global Prize. "In aviation, where so many lives depend on thousands of small decisions, we identified gaps where care and precision can falter," said Clinton Ikechukwu, a student in the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Program meta 4.0 at TU Chemnitz. "Our innovative AI, EVA_LAND, aims to improve flight safety by analyzing data from various cameras and sensors and supporting pilots as a co-pilot during non-standard emergency landings."
Oghosa Abu, a student in the Advanced and Computational Mathematics program, shared her experience: "It was impressive to see how an idea that started on paper became a reality through the process and filled a very specific gap. What we learned in our studies turned out to be directly applicable and went beyond theory. The foundation of our project was inspired by the work of Mélanie Ducoffe; her scientific paper ‘Don’t Lie to Me! Robust and Efficient Explainability with Verified Perturbation Analysis’ had a major influence on us. Using mathematical models to understand the inner workings of AI opened our eyes, and incorporating those insights into our AI system was truly exciting. I was also thrilled to see the airshow live in Paris—it was an unforgettable experience."
Muhammad Junaid Ali, who also studies in the meta4.0 master’s program, added: "To close every possible gap in aviation safety through 'purposeful creativity,' this process wasn’t just about generating ideas, but about enabling sustainable solutions that make a real difference. You don’t have to start with the perfect idea or have all the answers right away. What truly matters is passion, collaboration, and commitment. As a team, we encouraged each other to think bigger, ask tougher questions, and keep going—even when things didn’t work the first time. This experience wasn’t just about winning. It was also about discovering ourselves, identifying our strengths, stepping out of our comfort zones, and realizing what’s possible when passionate people come together, trust each other, and grow through every challenge. That’s what made this journey unforgettable."
The students were mentored by Prof. Dr. Stephan Odenwald (Chair of Sports Equipment Technology), Prof. Dr. Claudio Paganini (Acting Professor for Theoretical Mathematics), Dr. Michael Teichmann and Julia Bergelt (Chair of Artificial Intelligence), as well as Dr. Matthias Rehm and Dr. Mario Lorenz (Chair of Production Systems and Processes).
"We warmly congratulate our three students on this wonderful achievement, which has certainly enriched them both professionally and personally and could be a great starting point for their careers," said Dr. Rehm.
"This project succeeded because of honest critique and interdisciplinary collaboration. From abstract concept to functional design, this was a true team effort. Thank you to everyone who challenged us, taught us, and believed in us," said Clinton Ikechukwu. "And many thanks to Airbus for empowering young minds to tackle real-world challenges and for recognizing our EVA_LAND model as meaningful and promising."
(Author: Katja Klöden)
Mario Steinebach
26.06.2025
