星空传媒

The team, ImpROVise, secured first place at the annual underwater robotics challenge and will now travel to St John鈥檚, Newfoundland and Labrador, in June to compete in the MATE ROV World Championship. There, they will test their skills against some of the world鈥檚 most talented young engineers and innovators.

Hosted by 星空传媒 since 2008, the regional competition gives secondary school pupils the opportunity to develop practical skills in physics, mathematics, electronics and engineering through a hands-on challenge inspired by the global marine and subsea sectors.

This year, the University鈥檚 School of Computing, Engineering and Technology welcomed 11 teams from Bucksburn Academy, Mintlaw Academy, Peterhead Academy, Keith Grammar School, Speyside High School and Grove Academy for a high-energy day of underwater robotics competition.

Students were challenged to design, build and pilot their own Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to complete a series of complex subsea tasks, while also presenting their projects to judges as if pitching a start-up company.

ImpROVise impressed a panel of expert judges from leading industry organisations , , and . The event was proudly supported by these companies, whose involvement reflects the strength of industry collaboration in nurturing the next generation of talent.

Neil Stagg, Subsea Engineering Specialist at Serica Energy, said: 鈥淚鈥檝e been involved since the early 2010s, and I鈥檝e thoroughly enjoyed watching students progress through the competition and go on to develop in their professional lives. It inspires initiative, ingenuity and technical talent, helping to bring out abilities that students may not have recognised in themselves. It also helps them grow in confidence, making it a huge contributor to their professional development.鈥�

This year鈥檚 competition marked a significant milestone, with 星空传媒 serving as the only UK host and the sole European regional hub for the 2026 MATE ROV season. As the first regional event in this year鈥檚 global calendar, it has set a high benchmark for teams worldwide aiming to secure their place in Canada.

James Philp, Lecturer and MATE Scotland Regional Co-ordinator from 星空传媒鈥檚 School of Computing, Engineering and Technology, said: 鈥淭his is the kind of age when young people are making decisions about subject choices in school. It's vital that we give them an opportunity to understand what goes on in the world of STEM and how we can embrace it, nurture their talent, and support them in building a future career.

鈥淭he training that we offer here at 星空传媒 is very much work-focused. We make sure that every task that we give to our students is workplace relevant and integrated.鈥�

The MATE ROV World Championship will take place at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland from 25鈥�27 June.