Blog, Project Results
MERIT Supports Digital and Engineering Skills Development Among High-School Students
As part of the MERIT project’s society training activities, TalTech has been actively contributing to the development of digital, engineering and technology-related skills among high-school students. Through voluntary elective courses, young learners have been introduced to practical topics that connect engineering thinking, digital technologies and real-world problem solving.
Between 2024 and 2026, MERIT-related high-school training activities reached 125 students in total. Among the participants, 86 were boys and 39 were girls. The activities were carried out in cooperation with Estonian high schools and focused on raising awareness of technology-related study opportunities, including those offered by TalTech and the MARM master’s programme developed within the framework of the MERIT project.
The training activities covered three main elective course topics related to digital technologies:
Product Development
The Product Development course introduced students to the process of developing a new product from an initial idea to a practical concept. Students learned how to identify market opportunities, define problems, analyse user needs, study competing solutions, develop product concepts, consider sustainability aspects and build simple prototypes. The practical nature of the course helped students understand how creativity, engineering and structured development methods are combined in product creation.
Internet of Things
The Internet of Things course focused on connected devices and digital systems. Students were introduced to the basic concepts of IoT, including system components, sensors and actuators, radio signals, data transmission protocols, application areas, security and data protection. The course also included practical work, where students developed and programmed simple IoT-based solutions. This helped them understand how data is collected, transferred and used in modern smart systems.
Smart Building
The Smart Building course introduced students to the concept of intelligent building systems. The course covered smart building sensors, technical solutions, software and hardware aspects, data exchange and processing, including MQTT-based communication. Students also explored how practical smart building solutions can be developed and programmed. The course provided an applied introduction to how digital technologies can make buildings more efficient, responsive and data-driven.
Across all courses, the MERIT project was introduced to students during the lectures. The activities helped disseminate information about MERIT, TalTech study opportunities, the Industrial Engineering and Management Master’s (MARM) programme and the learning environments and laboratories developed with the support of the project.
These high-school elective courses demonstrate how MERIT contributes to society-level skills development by connecting university knowledge with secondary education. By combining theoretical understanding with practical tasks, the courses help students gain early exposure to engineering, digital transformation, IoT and smart systems.
Through these activities, MERIT supports the development of the next generation of engineers, technology specialists and digitally skilled professionals.
