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Faculty of Engineering and Computing
Expo25

DCU Students Win 2025 Mallin Entrepreneurship Award for Crowd Safety Innovation

Two final-year students from Dublin City University have been named winners of the 2025 Mallin Entrepreneurship Award, a fantastic initiative offering up to €12,500 in seed funding to help turn innovative student projects into viable commercial ventures.

The award, open to final-year undergraduate and integrated master’s students in the Faculty of Engineering and Computing, was established to support students in developing the entrepreneurial potential of their Final Year Projects. 

With a focus on projects that combine strong technical foundations with market viability, the Mallin Award encourages students to take their ideas beyond the classroom and into the real world.

Applicants were required to register their Final Year Project and submit a detailed business plan outlining the commercial potential, market need, and implementation strategy. Submissions were assessed for their originality, feasibility, and readiness for commercial development. 

The winners were announced during the Final Year Project Expo in May 2025, a highlight of the academic calendar that showcases student innovation across the faculty.

This year’s winners, Zeynep Altintas and Lizel Sulaj, impressed the judging panel with PulsePath, a web-based application designed to enhance crowd safety and optimise resource management at large-scale open-air festivals.

PulsePath provides real-time insights into crowd density, enabling event organisers to monitor congestion, improve response times, and allocate staff and amenities more effectively. The goal is to reduce overcrowding risks and streamline festival operations, ultimately creating safer and more enjoyable experiences for attendees.

Developed using a suite of technologies including Django, Python, PostgreSQL, React, Redis, and MapBox API, the platform features an interactive map displaying live crowd movement, facility capacity, and real-time notifications. 

By leveraging WebSocket technology for instant updates, PulsePath allows organisers to make proactive, data-driven decisions during live events.

In addition to seed funding, the award provides recipients with access to mentorship and support as they take their first steps toward commercialisation.

For Altintas and Sulaj, the award represents a launchpad, not just for a product, but for a potential new venture at the intersection of technology, safety, and live event management.