A contest opened to all students

Who we are

InfraVision is a Think Tank founded by Vauban IP, with the support of Altermind, whose raison d’être is to foster fruitful discussions between infrastructure stakeholders (asset operators, investors, experts, start-ups, policymakers, etc.) on forward-looking and hot topics related to infrastructure. Five major reports have already been released, you can find them here.

2026: a contest for students

In 2026, InfraVision organizes a competition inspired by the theme ‘Infrastructure as a System’. Creative minds from various backgrounds – e.g. students of architecture, urban planning, engineering, complex systems, economics, public policy, computer science, etc.  – are invited to team up and join the contest. 

A theme: Infrastructure as a System

We invite students to rethink infrastructure for a world shaped by climate pressure, technological disruption, regulatory change and shifting demand.

Students has the opportunity to tackle complex problems by applying their knowledge, skills, and imagination. They will receive valuable feedback from a jury of experts, led by architect Sadie Morgan (co-founder of drMM), and other recognized public figures, (see above), helping the students raise their profile and establish industry contacts.

The competition offers prize money of 7,000 euros for the 1st-placed team, 5,000 euros for the 2nd-placed team, and 3,000 euros for the 3rd-placed team.

What is expected from contestants?

The submission should go beyond a concept and demonstrate structured thinking:

• Project vision and value creation – Define your infrastructure project, its purpose, the problem it addresses, and the value it creates;
• Future scenarios – Define 2-3 contrasted and plausible future contexts (e.g., macroeconomic tensions, geopolitical uncertainties, regulatory shock, technological disruption);
• Resilience and adaptiveness – Identify key vulnerabilities, risks, and uncertainties. Stress-test and show how your project responds to them (e.g., flexibility, modularity, reversibility);
• Trade-offs – Highlight the main tensions (e.g., cost vs. speed, efficiency vs. resilience, performance vs. sustainability). Make your choices explicit and justify them;
• Bold bets and quick wins – Propose high-impact ideas, either forward-looking or actionable in the short term. This may include disruptive technologies, policy or regulatory changes, or innovative business and financing models;
• Stakeholder engagement – Identify key stakeholders and explain how you will align interests, secure buy-in, and create the right incentives for implementation;
• System perspective – Explain how your project interacts with broader systems (e.g., mobility, energy, urban planning) and its role within a wider ecosystem;
  Implementation roadmap and budget – Translate your vision into a realistic, phased plan. Specify key milestones, enabling conditions, and budgetary requirement;
• Impact assessment – Define the single most important indicator of success. Support your proposal with a high-level cost-benefit perspective and explain what value is created;

The submission should include a 30-40 slides + a written abstract, along with visual representations, sketches, digital or physical models, etc.