{"id":18642,"date":"2026-05-14T18:05:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T22:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/solidedge\/?p=18642"},"modified":"2026-05-14T19:15:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T23:15:32","slug":"18642-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/solidedge\/18642-2\/","title":{"rendered":"When 17-year-olds redefine innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Author: Susanne Gold<\/a><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

How two teenagers are making public transport barrier-free with Siemens Designcenter Solid Edge \u2013 and what we can learn from them<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Inventor Marko (in the foreground) with his mentor Marc J. Weingart (UniCredit Bank AG), Jadranka Darul, project lead at Your Capabilities, and Michael Lorentschk, STEM lead at UnternehmerTUM MakerSpace (from left to right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a small room at Munich\u2019s Garching subway station, two worlds collide: two 17-year-old students with a vision, and the technology of a global corporation. No budget meeting, no PowerPoint. Just an idea that\u2019s long overdue: a mobile ramp to make boarding easier for people using wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers.

\u201cIn theory, everyone supports accessibility \u2013 in practice, I can\u2019t get into the subway,\u201d says Marko. He knows what he\u2019s talking about. Together with Joy, who is neurodivergent, he\u2019s taking part in the inclusive start-up program Your Capabilities<\/em>. The two haven\u2019t just identified a problem \u2013 they\u2019ve actively worked on its solution.

Your Capabilities<\/em> fosters a unique spirit of innovation: young people with disabilities are empowered not only to recognize their talents but to actively use them to contribute to innovation processes. The goals are for young people with disabilities to learn to see themselves from a new perspective, discover their strengths, and further develop them. This creates tremendous problem-solving skills and turns barriers into innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Marko und Joy discussing concept, design, and prototyping steps with mentors from UniCredit Bank AG, Your Capabilities, UnternehmerTUM MakerSpace, Munich Transport Company (MVG), Siemens Software, and Siemens Mobility<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first step towards a better solution<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Within a single day, the two developed their first prototype at the UnternehmerTUM MakerSpace with support from Siemens Mobility, Siemens software, the MakerSpace and Your Capabilities<\/em> teams, and their mentors from UniCredit. The idea: a kind of \u201cmolehill ramp\u201d \u2013 a gently rising surface that can be approached from all sides and is compact enough to remain mobile and modular. It was made on-site from wood composite material using a CNC milling machine.

The ramp is designed to bridge the small gap between the platform and the subway. For this, Joy and Marko proposed a clever solution: an inflatable tire that automatically fills with air when the train arrives and deflates when it leaves. It\u2019s a minimalist solution designed for maximum impact.

\u201cWe wanted a solution that works regardless of wheelchair type or subway model \u2013 and is realistically feasible,\u201d the two students explain.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Kevin Avdiu, working student at the Siemens Maker Space, Marko and Joy, the two students from team Infraboyz, Michael Lorentschk, Roman Schwarz (Siemens Mobility), Marc J. Weingart (UniCredit Bank AG), and Fabian Url (Foundation Pfennigparade), discussing the design of the ramp.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Why is this story more than a school project<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This project impressively demonstrates how much innovative power is unleashed when those affected work with technology \u2013 not just as users, but as developers and specialists. It\u2019s also an example of what\u2019s possible when young people are given trust, tools, and the space to create their own solutions.

\u201cTrue co-creation is more than a workshop \u2013 it\u2019s innovation in action,\u201d says Veronika Moj, program lead at Your Capabilities<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s especially important to us that the young people experience self-efficacy and realize that they can solve their own problems and make the world a little better.\u201d

And it\u2019s a lesson for us as a company:<\/p>\n\n\n

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First prototype of the team, designed in Designcenter Solid Edge and milled at the UnternehmerTUM MakerSpace in Garching.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n