Global competition pairs university teams with TE mentors, offering scholarships across six regions
Published
10/17/25
October 17, 2025
HARRISBURG, Pa
TE Connectivity, a world leader in connectors and sensors, is seeking teams for the TE Sustainability Cup 2026, a global university competition that challenges students to develop innovative solutions for improving the sustainability of TE products across their entire lifecycle.
The TE Sustainability Cup 2026, which will run from December 2025 through April 2026, is organized by TE's Global Corporate Technology Center Materials Team in partnership with TE employees worldwide. Building upon the previous year’s success, this expanded program broadens its scope from packaging-focused initiatives to encompass any aspect of TE product sustainability, including materials innovation, design optimization, manufacturing processes, energy efficiency and end-of-life management.
TE Sustainability Cup 2026
"We are excited to engage with the next generation of engineers and innovators to tackle some of the most pressing sustainability challenges in our industry," said Megan Beers, global chair of the TE Sustainability Cup 2026. "This program represents our commitment to fostering innovation while building partnerships with universities worldwide to create a safer, sustainable, productive and connected future."
Competition structure and global participation
University teams consisting of two to seven students will be paired with experienced TE mentors and assigned problem statements related to improving sustainability across various aspects of TE products. Multiple teams may participate from each university, with each team receiving dedicated mentorship from TE technical experts throughout the competition period. Solutions will be evaluated by a panel of TE judges in April 2026, with scholarships awarded to winning universities thanks to funding by the Sustainable Innovation Fund through TE’s office of Global Government Affairs and Corporate Responsibility.
Registration
Universities interested in participating should contact their regional
co-chair to register their teams:
Regional Co-Chair contacts:
Global Chair: Megan Beers - megan.beers@te.com
Americas Co-Chairs: Deepti Gopalakrishnan (deepti.gopalakrishnan@te.com) and Shruti Deshmukh (shruti.deshmukh@te.com)
EMEA Co-Chair: Daniela Graziano - dgraziano@te.com
China Co-Chair: Zhongxi Huang - zhongxi.huang@te.com
Singapore Co-Chair: Kim Hai Wong - kimhai.wong@te.com
India Co-Chair: Vinay Shettar - vinayaks@te.com
The competition timeline includes:
- Now – End of December 2025: Program launch and team formation
- December 2025 - April 2026: Problem-solving phase with mentor support
- April 2026: Final presentations and judging
This competition aligns with TE's broader commitment to creating a safer, sustainable, productive, and connected future, while fostering the next generation of engineering talent through hands-on collaboration with industry experts. TE is halfway toward its goal of impacting 10 million people through STEM education between 2020 and 2030.
About TE Connectivity
TE Connectivity plc (NYSE: TEL) is a global industrial technology leader creating a safer, sustainable, productive, and connected future. Our broad range of connectivity and sensor solutions enable the distribution of power, signal and data to advance next-generation transportation, energy networks, automated factories, data centers, medical technology and more. With more than 85,000 employees, including 9,000 engineers, working alongside customers in approximately 130 countries, TE ensures that EVERY CONNECTION COUNTS. Learn more at www.te.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, WeChat and Instagram.
