Among the competitors in the national GIM’EOLE competition, which highlights ingenuity and technical mastery, that took place from March 24 to 27, 2026 in Schiltigheim near Strasbourg, a team from the BUT Industrial Engineering and Maintenance (GIM) program at the IUT in Saint-Malo stood out. Not only were they selected, but the team from Saint-Malo also excelled in the main event, the “24-hour chrono.”
A technical race against the clock
The challenge was daunting: to imagine, build, and test a wind turbine capable of producing maximum energy, all in a single dial rotation. Aside from the limited time, students had to deal with strict material constraints. Only the components available on site could be used, and each choice had to be managed within a limited budget in “gim’coins,” the fictional currency of the competition.
6th place out of 30 in the national rankings
To maximize their chances, the future technicians from Saint-Malo relied on strategy. They chose a horizontal-axis wind turbine. This technical choice proved to be successful. Lighter and with better start-up capacity, their structure quickly demonstrated its effectiveness during the testing phases.
This pragmatic approach allowed them to reach 6th place in the national rankings out of around thirty participating teams. A remarkable result highlighting the quality of education provided on the Saint-Malo campus and the students’ ability to tackle real industrial challenges. Beyond the ranking, the focus is on real-world immersion. By working under pressure, with limited resources and strict performance goals, students got a glimpse of the daily life in engineering offices and maintenance services. This formative experience should enhance their employability in a rapidly expanding energy transition sector.
/t:r(unknown)/filters:format(jpeg)/radios/vibration/importrk/news/original/41109.jpeg "Vianney finishes his cabin and is already preparing his return to music")
