In his words,
'Idea Box is a wonderful initiative, because it opens up opportunities to realize the not-so-obvious ideas. All members of the university community are eligible to cast their vote, so the ideas, distinguished today, enjoy recognition from a large number of people. Idea Box contributes to the building of a community, because the ideas benefit all. Indeed, the title of the project that received the largest number of votes contains the words 'it is done for us all'. I offer my sincere congratulations to the winners. As you walk around our campus and the park, you will soon see more bird, insect, and hedgehog houses. It cheers you up that, having the space to do it, we are willing to be mindful of these creatures and create sustainable environment for them. I find it really wonderful that we help Lodz University of Technology grow this way.
52 ideas were submitted, of which 11 were selected by the TUL rector for further processing and implementation with funds outside the Idea Box budget. As a result, a larger pool of money stayed for the implementation of the proposals decided by the vote.
The 8th edition of the project attracted a lot of interest. Over 1,000 individuals participated.
Winning ideas:
- Design-4-All – Creative space at TUL, by dr hab. inż. Grzegorz Granosik, TUL prof. (367 votes). The modernized A7 building will be equipped with an unprecedented in Poland combination of a fablab, a VR lab, and an ergonomics lab. As stated in the proposal: 'All that's left is to be furnished is a multimedia projector and some furniture, health and safety equipment to handle the machines with confidence, and 3D print post-processing equipment. Once we have that, we can hold maker meetups for people keen on creativity, functionality, practicality of their ideas.
- Shelters for bees, insects, birds, and hedgehogs, by Ewa Nowak (346 votes). They will be located next to flower meadows, yet another IDEA BOX contribution, and around tree covered areas on campus.
- Chill Zone in the 'Three Faculties' Building', by Jakub Żaczek (337 votes). The space will be furnished with comfortable seatings, tables, electrical outlets, and plants. It is supposed to be cozy, student-friendly, and is intended for reviewing and resting during longer breaks between class sessions.
The Idea Box budget allocated for the implementation of the successful ideas was 100,000 zł.
We are pleased with the proactivity of our staff, students, and doctoral candidates who, by submitting their ideas and taking part in the Idea Box participatory budget, contribute to transforming the Lodz University of Technology campus into a place that is ever more pleasant to work, study, and spend free time,'
commented Adam Owczarek, head of the Office for University Development, which coordinates the project.
The previous editions brought about two flower meadows, beehives, bike repair stations and bike racks, indoor and outdoor student zones, air quality sensors on campus, and a Mobile Alert app, among others.
Among the ideas implemented outside of the Idea Box budget are a new Erasmus website for TUL (the project is underway) and outdoor seating in Klepacz Park.
Funding is being sought for proposals involving bicycle and scooter parking with charging facilities and an access control system, the budget for which far exceeds IDEA BOX's capacity.
The same applies to what is known as desire paths in the Klepacz Park, for which a development plan has been made and which will be implemented over the present and the following year, once the funding has been obtained.
Several ideas related to tranquility and focus zones fit within the project 'Universities more and more accessible', from which funds the purchase and installation of office cubicles is planned.