I agree. While I understand the OP's point that it's a valuable experience for the team, a glimpse into solving real problems, it's not a finished product, etc.

I agree. While I understand the OP's point that it's a valuable experience for the team, a glimpse into solving real problems, it's not a finished product, etc., I still think ArcelorMittal captures the bulk of the value here. They had 70 teams competing. The team in the article had 5 members working for 36 hours, with 3 hours of sleep. Let's say the team members would fetch $150k/year. $75/hr. 5 people, 33 hours. $12,375. And there were 70 teams competing for $10k + snacks. On the flip side, how much does ArcelorMittal lose on a single failed weld? I would venture a guess it's well north of $10k.