From 19 to 23 January 2026, the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC) will host the international workshop Happy Sound – Upcycled Loudspeaker Design Workshop. This five-day intensive program invites students to design and manufacture portable loudspeakers using components recovered from used desktop speakers, applying an upcycling and eco-innovation approach.
The workshop is part of the Erasmus+ SUSEE project (Smaller Universities for Sustainability in Engineering Education) and will bring together participants from four partner universities: UTC (France), the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów (Poland), TU Ilmenau (Germany), and Unibz in Bolzano (Italy). A total of 20 students will be selected to take part. Throughout the week, participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of loudspeaker design, including acoustics, enclosure types, and aesthetic considerations. They will work in interdisciplinary teams to develop concepts that meet defined technical and budget requirements, before prototyping and assembling their products in the UTC workshop facilities.
In addition to design and manufacturing activities, the program integrates a strong sustainability component. Students will visit a local recycling center and carry out an environmental impact assessment of their upcycled speaker. The workshop will conclude with a comparative listening test of the final creations, followed by a cultural event at Compiègne’s Imperial Theater.
Assessment for the workshop will include a preliminary design presentation, a final presentation of the completed products, and a written report. Successful participants will be awarded 2 ECTS.
The Happy Sound workshop offers students a unique opportunity to combine engineering, creativity, and sustainability within an international learning environment.