The final of the 2022 GUH STEM Challenge was held in Aberdeen this week.  Pupils from six schools across the UK travelled to the Granite City to compete in the final of the nationwide competition.

Following a close contest, it was the team of six pupils from Culloden Academy in Inverness who lifted the coveted trophy.  The teenagers triumphed over other teams from Glasgow’s Hyndland Academy, High Tunstall College of Science in Hartlepool, Bristol Free School, Flixton Girls School in Manchester and Alderman Peel High School in Norfolk, all of whom had won regional heats to reach the final.

Organised by the Global Underwater Hub, supported by The Smallpeice Trust, the final saw the teams challenged to design, build and market an ROV built from Lego Mindstorm that could collect discarded marine plastic.  The competition tested their science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills and demonstrated to them how these skills can be applied to future careers.

As part of the trip to Aberdeen, the schools visited the offices of leading geo-data specialist Fugro. There they gained an insight into how the firm’s ROVs and other underwater inspection technologies are used to support the energy industry.