Doctoral students of the Faculty of Engineering represented SUA in Hungary
18.05.2026
We are proud to announce that a team from our faculty — Ing. Miroslav Holý, Ing. Ľubomír Béger and Ing. Marianna Ižoldová — represented UEAIF at the international Anthropocene Case Competition in Gödöllő (MATE), organized in cooperation with Bonafarm Group. They were accompanied by Ing. Ladislav Tóth, PhD.
The final took place on 13–15 May 2026 and brought together 13 teams from 10 countries in a 48-hour live challenge. The competition was held in three rounds (online submission → semi-final → live final) and required quick thinking, teamwork and practical solutions on the topic of valorization of poultry by-products Hungerit (Bonafarm Group, Szentes) with an emphasis on circular economy and sustainability.
Our doctoral students developed concepts focused on closed-loop processing of blood, feathers, offal, heads, necks, skin and feet in order to maximize internal use (own feed mill and nutrition supplementation for their own farms), reduce CO2 emissions and minimize logistics. The proposed technologies included fractionation (SDAP) for blood, enzymatic hydrolysis for feathers and cooking + drying + grinding for other inputs. During the 36-hour competition, the team consulted the assignment directly with Bonafarm, answers came continuously and the accompanying program also brought valuable networking opportunities, including a visit to the agricultural museum.
In the semi-final, the team gave a 15-minute presentation (11 slides, all three took turns), answered questions from the jury and gave an interview for school television. They advanced to the absolute final by selecting the best according to the points. "Although we did not make it to the final podium (5th–13th place), the jury appreciated the interesting information we brought," said Ing. Miroslav Holý.
The competition showed a diverse approach — from b2c solution proposals to pyrolysis or traditional products — and opened a discussion on the economic aspects of producing our own feed versus buying soy. For us, the greatest value was the experience: intensive teamwork, contact with the industry, and inspiration from international teams.
"We thank doc. Vozárová for the incentive to apply, the organizers MATE and Bonafarm Group for the professional environment, and all participants for the fair competition," the competitors recalled.
