Innovation is in the DNA of the Twente Solar Team, which have been pushing the boundaries of solar racing in the World Solar Challenge since 2005. As technical innovations have become increasingly complex and demanding, (former) team members have set up a separate innovation team. The team, consisting of seven students, each with their own area of expertise, will carry out and test the Solar Team's most challenging engineering projects. Within the team, two students who have completed their bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (ME) at the VU have also started: Daan de Jong and Daan Nibbering. ‘I'm sure all kinds of things I learned at the VU are going to help me a lot here.’
Daan de Jong, technical manager & logistics 2024
‘I come from the town of Heerhugowaard and the then-new ME course at the VU was a perfect choice for me. The collaboration between the VU and the UT allowed me to continue living and working at and from home and receive the same education as UT students. After my bachelor's, I was eager to deepen my knowledge and chose the ME master's programme in Enschede. I now feel well at home within Enschede's student life and also want to continue working on myself as a future technical professional. That's why I applied for a place in the Solar Team Twente. And fortunately with success. We recently started with the first innovation team. I am incredibly looking forward to the coming year and also find it exciting to take on such a challenge. I have never built a solar car before. But I'm confident and think that after all the projects during my bachelor's, I can handle things like team dynamics and deadlines very well.’
Daan Nibbering, Strategy 2024
‘I wanted to do something technical after high school but didn’t want to live in a faraway city. ME in Amsterdam was the ultimate solution for me. I also always really enjoyed travelling to Enschede for the practical classes. Especially the beautiful campus and the cosy student atmosphere appealed to me. After my bachelor's, the UT was therefore an easy choice for my master's degree. After the pre-master in applied mathematics, it eventually became Robotics. In the innovation team of Solar Team Twente, I enjoy working on new projects and taking on new challenges. Within the team, I am responsible for the strategy, which is great because it means I am involved in the preparations for the race from the very beginning of the project. I'm really looking forward to it and I'm sure all kinds of things I learned at the VU, such as working together in projects, are going to help me a lot here.”
