Challenge.ON 2026 by Nikola Tesla's Apprentices

Young talents play a major role in shaping the future of the energy sector: their knowledge, creativity, and innovative thinking will fundamentally shape how the energy system operates and evolves in the coming decades.

That is why E.ON strives to reach out to, support, and engage the next generation of professionals in a variety of ways. The group currently has more than 190 interns gaining professional experience, while nearly 60 others are participating in the workforce through dual training programs. The importance of young people is clearly demonstrated by the fact that in 2026, nearly half of new hires were in the 16-25 age group.

For over a decade and a half, the E.ON Challenge.ON competition has also served as an important forum for building relationships with the engineers of the future. The initiative provides students with the opportunity to test their knowledge through engaging yet professionally relevant tasks and to directly engage with the current challenges facing the energy sector. They can learn about the complex engineering work behind the operation and development of a safe and sustainable energy system, while also experiencing how they themselves can shape the future of energy with their own ideas and knowledge.

In a close contest, the team from Pannon University in Veszprém emerged as the winner of the 2026 Challenge.ON, consisting of third-year students Máté Barnucz, Ádám Völgyi, and Erik Nagy. The students earned first place – and took home the HUF 1.2 million grand prize – thanks to their preparedness, coordinated teamwork, and persuasive argumentation skills.

More than 60 teams from seven university campuses entered this year’s Challenge.ON competition, which evoked the spirit of Nikola Tesla. During the preliminary round, participants tested their knowledge in four interactive challenges. Only those teams that demonstrated, through speed, ingenuity, and coordinated teamwork, that they were worthy of the master’s legacy advanced to the finals.