On 6 March, Chalmers student Alexandra Nylander was named Female Tech Engineer of the Year 2024, an award given to an engineering student who has shown strong potential to influence the tech industry. The prize is awarded within the Female Tech Engineer talent programme, which aims to build relationships between female and non-binary engineering students and the Swedish industry.
The Female Tech Engineer talent programme is organised annually by the recruitment company CoGig and focuses on female and non-binary engineering students with ambitions to develop future systems and products in the tech field. Through workshops and networking events with participating companies, the programme aims to give students an opportunity to grow in a professional context while making contacts in Swedish industry.
A central part of the programme is the nomination of the Female Tech Engineer of the Year, which is awarded to an engineering student with strong potential to positively impact the tech industry. The winner is selected from among ten finalists who have distinguished themselves during the programme and presented their own business idea on how technology use can contribute to solving a societal problem.
This year, the award went to Alexandra Nylander, who studies industrial design engineering at Chalmers.
“This award is somehow a confirmation that you can make a change, have an impact and be a tech pioneer,” says Alexandra.
Alexandra's business idea focuses on enabling primary schools to meet the needs of each individual student by using AI.
“My idea addresses the problem that exists in primary school today, where schools are not able to compensate for students' different conditions. At the same time, the proportion of ninth graders who leave primary school without the qualifications for high school is increasing, which increases the risk of both youth unemployment and social exclusion. I therefore designed a concept where a digital AI solution tailors tasks based on each individual student's needs, which could give schools the resources needed to offer all students equal opportunities to succeed in school,” says Alexandra.
The jury's motivation:
"The Female Tech Engineer of the Year has distinguished herself with her passion for creative problem-solving using tech. Her commitment to societal challenges and sustainability, always focusing on user needs and perspectives, is at the heart of her work. Her innovative business idea received unanimous praise from the jury, confirming her thoughtful approach. She has no problem making her voice heard and standing up for her ideas, all with qualities of calm, clarity, and professionalism. Throughout the programme, her curiosity and commitment have been prominent. She has an excellent understanding of the connection between the technology, the user and the business and we are convinced that she will be valuable to our partner companies in the future."
The Female Tech Engineer programme is organised by the recruitment company CoGig and collaborates with companies such as Husqvarna Group, KPMG Sverige, Munters, Mycronic, Nasdaq, Northvolt, Senior Material, and Nya Ledarskapet.