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Student of Ƶ — finalist of the Startup as a Diploma competition
24 June

On June 27, Moscow will host the bright conclusion of the Startup as Diploma 2025 competition, in which the startup team of Sofia Tyukhteeva, a student at the Institute of Management and Economics at Ƶ, was among the top fifteen competitive projects.

At the university, Sofia is engaged in scientific research at the intersection of economics, energy, environmental protection and rational use of resources, and plans to enroll in a master's degree at her native university, where she will study energy management. Sofia STEKLOFF's startup is aimed at recycling glass waste from municipal solid waste into thermal insulation materials. The aim of her project is to provide the construction industry with high—quality and affordable thermal insulation material, recycling MSW and reducing the burden on the environment.

The uniqueness of the output product lies in the combination of solving an acute environmental problem with the production of high-demand building materials by creating a sustainable business model based on the principles of a closed-loop economy. Unlike traditional foam glass manufacturers who use primary raw materials, the student suggests using municipal solid waste, which will significantly reduce the burden on the environment, reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, and reduce the carbon footprint of production.

"The uniqueness lies in the implementation of a full cycle of municipal solid waste recycling — glass and cullet are used as raw materials for the production of foam glass, and the organic part of municipal solid waste in the form of RDF fuel is used for its own energy generation, which is economically efficient. The combination of these factors creates a unique value for all stakeholders: for society in the form of an improved environmental situation, for business in the form of a profitable and sustainable business model, and for customers in the form of high—quality and affordable thermal insulation material. There are analogues of this material on the Russian market, but the technology itself is unique due to its own energy generation," says Sofia about her startup.

The final of the main student entrepreneurship event will be held at the Rossiya National Center, the largest venue in the country. Here you can see what a thesis defense should look like in the "Startup as a diploma" format, find out what opportunities there are to launch the program, find out all the details and useful recommendations from the finalists, experts and organizers. Also, according to the organizers, sweepstakes with valuable prizes will be held on the site. Among all those who have registered, six participants will be selected during the day, who will receive the merch of the Startup as a Diploma Program. For publications with the hashtag #Startup_cak_diplom: during the day, ten of the best photos will be selected, the authors of which will receive gifts, merch, expert advice, and even an invitation to a business breakfast with entrepreneurs. After the event, guests will have the opportunity to take guided tours of the expositions of the National Center of Russia: "The Birth of Scale" is about how architectural masterpieces of the country were created; "Journey through Russia" is from the Far East to Kaliningrad in 90 minutes.