Shell Eco-marathon fosters collaboration amid competition

Shell Eco-marathon (SEM) is designed to be more than just competition, the meet’s executive said.

SEM Global Manager Norman Koch said that aside from being a venue to showcase eco-friendly cars, the event also meant to serve as a way to build relationships among participants.

"Collaboration has always been a big topic in Shell Eco-marathon… While the teams are competitors on the track, they help each other with the materials and tools, and give a hand to those they can help, making the spirit of Shell Eco-marathon alive in the paddocks," Koch was quoted as saying.

Such experience was enjoyed by students from the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) and Polytechnic University of the Philippines Manila (PUP) who joined the Shell Eco-marathon Asia and the Pacific 2023.

During the latest event held in Lombok, Indonesia, the Filipino participants worked closely with other teams from different countries. The program provided valuable lessons on teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.

"We always feel that this is not only a competition but a community as well," PUP Hygears Team Manager Nicole Rose Tugay said.

"You will not be here just to compete and do things on your own. It’s a platform where you can learn from your teammates and even your competitors,” she added.

To recall, Kazakhstan’s S.U. Racing Team helped the Philippines’ Altas Valor in fixing the Avalon’s brake system, allowing it to pass the Technical Inspection stage.

"We personally asked the team from Kazakhstan on how we can fix our brake system. They gave us the material that we needed and even volunteered to help us. They became our saving grace in passing the Technical Inspection," Altas Valor Adviser Joebert Guzon said.

“We did what a Kazakh would do. We are helpful people, so we know that helping all those teams is the right thing to do,” S.U. Racing Team member Yerbol Amantay said.

Aside from the Philippine contingent, the Kazakh team also aided other teams from different countries. The team received the Spirit of Shell Eco-marathon recognition at the end of the program.

“When joining Shell Eco-marathon, you will learn how to make energy-efficient vehicles. You will also find very interesting situations and interesting teams that will inspire you to make the vehicle of the future,” S.U. Racing Team Manager Alibek Ibraim noted.

In addition, the Philippine team also received support from Malaysian and Indonesian participants.

Further, Koch is inviting more participants to join the event — challenging them to “come together, learn from each other, and create a better future.”

“The vision of Shell Eco-marathon is to provide the young engineers of the future with a platform to test their ingenuity, their creativity, their collaboration, and come up with more innovative solutions for a more sustainable low carbon mobility of the future,” Koch said.

Photos from Shell Philippines Corporation, Ruben Manahan IV

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