Surge Twente
Formerly known as Solar Boat Twente, the team recently rebranded as Surge Twente. Not only has the name changed; the team has also built an entirely new boat, powered not by solar energy but by so‑called green methanol. Their vessel ‘Eclipse’ will compete in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge from 8 to 11 July. Both the event and location are familiar territory, and the team has reached the podium on multiple occasions. Still, with a completely new boat and a different competition category, expectations remain modest. The plan: take part, learn, and complete all races.
RoboTeam Twente
RoboTeam Twente is also taking a new direction: no more football robots, but instead a Mars rover. The team will unveil it on 30 June. Their goal is to compete in the European Rover Challenge in Kraków, Poland, between 2 and 8 September. Qualification is not yet certain, as team leader Marijn Grashoff explains: ‘Initially, this was meant to be a transition year, without a qualification attempt. However, by February our prototype had progressed so far that we decided to give it a try.’ The team will find out on 21 June whether they have qualified. If they have, the Mars rover will need to perform tasks such as collecting soil samples and operating switches.
HyDriven
With their new hydrogen-powered race car Mira, HyDriven will compete in the Formula Student races in Austria (26–30 July) and France (24–29 August). Before that, the team will take part in Formula Future, from 20 to 23 July, just across the border at the Meppen circuit. Last year, the hydrogen car was consistently outperformed by electric competitors. Whether that will change this year remains to be seen.
DroneTeam Twente
DroneTeam Twente will travel to Buckminster in England for the UAS Challenge, held from 29 June to 2 July. This international competition focuses on deploying drones for humanitarian purposes. The Twente team’s project targets water supply in remote agricultural regions. The competition includes multiple categories, and last year the team won both the design award and the media and engagement award. A main prize, however, has so far eluded them.
Biosensing Team Twente
At the end of August, Biosensing Team Twente will compete in SensUs, a healthcare competition in Eindhoven. This year, the team is developing a biomarker to measure the release and regulation of Parkinson’s medication. Their chances of winning a prize are realistic: last year, the team secured second place in two categories.
Solar Team Twente
In contrast to the other teams, Solar Team Twente faces a relatively quiet summer. Earlier this year, the long‑standing team announced a strategic shift: no longer competing in the World Solar Challenge, but instead focusing on building a new rally race car. The new team has only just been formed. Whether the ‘old’ solar car will still race remains uncertain. ‘A group of former team members may take it to the European Solar Challenge in September,’ says former team leader Daniël Blik. ‘Just to take part once more, for fun.’
Electric Superbike Twente
Electric Superbike Twente is also taking a step back this year. This spring, the students unveiled the design of their new motorcycle, the‘Nexus‑TR’. Participation in the MotoStudent competition in Spain is scheduled for 2027. As the event takes place every two years, this gives the team time to build and optimise their machine.
RISE
The rocket team RISE has its sights set on EuRoC – the European Rocketry Challenge – taking place in Portugal from 15 to 21 October. Although the team has registered, participation is not guaranteed. Of the 67 registered teams, only 25 will ultimately qualify.
Esports Team Twente
Esports Team Twente differs somewhat in nature from the other student teams. Its competition structure is also distinct, as team manager Pawaret Boonkham explains. The Dutch College Esports Series consists of two seasons (October–January and March–June), both of which have just concluded. While the team did not secure a main prize in the overall competition, they achieved strong results in tournaments. In Valorant, they claimed multiple (major) prizes, and in League of Legends they secured one main prize at a tournament in Breda.
