Turkish students come first in European leg of Shell Eco-marathon

ISTANBUL

Students of Turkish universities won three first prizes in the European leg of Shell Eco-marathon, one of the longest-running student innovation competitions in the world.

The UMAKIT team, representing Uludağ University in the northwestern province of Bursa, came first in the “circular economy” and “technical innovation” categories in the event, which was held online for the first time in 35 years due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The wheel suspension system of UMAKIT, which increased vehicle dynamics and allowed the elimination of conventional suspension components, impressed the jury.

AE2, the team of Istanbul’s Yıldız Technical University, has outstripped its competitors in the “safety” category.

The team got awarded for its success in daily safety applications in vehicles, which raise awareness and act proactively with the project they developed.

These results mark as the harbinger of success for the budding engineers in Turkey in automotive technologies and energy efficiency, said Ahmet Erdem, chair of Shell Turkey Country.

While nearly 2,000 students from Turkey have participated in the event since 2005, Turkish teams managed to enter the top 10 in their categories 22 times in total.