2015 MATE International ROV Competition!

The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center, the National Science Foundation (NSF), NSF's Office of Polar Programs, and the Marine Technology Society ROV Committee invite you to our 14th Annual MATE International Studen ROV Competition.

Sixty-three teams representing middle schools, high schools, home schools, after-school groups, community colleges, and universities from 16 different countries are scheduled to compete in this year's event, which is being held June 25-27, 2015 at the Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University and the National Research Council's Ocean, Coastal, and River Engineering (OCRE) facility in St. John's, NL, Canada.

This year's competition focuses on the role that ROVs play in scientific research and the offshore oil industry in the extreme environment of the Arctic. The underwater mission tasks include piloting under an ice sheet to sample organisms and deploy instrumentation and battling current, waves, and wind to inspect pipelines and test oilfield equipment. This year's complex missions are made possible by the unique features of MI's flume tank and the OCRE's ice tank and offshore engineering basin.

Each year the competition challenges students to think of themselves as "entrepreneurs." Students are asked to transform their teams into companies that design, build, and market their "product" as a way to gain a better understanding the breadth of real-world business operations. Along the way, they learn how to manage a project, work as a team, think creatively, and problem-solve, which are all important 21st century workplace skills.

During the event, a panel of judges - professionals representing industry, science, government, education, and exploration - will evaluate the student-run companies on their ability to effectively communicate their vehicles' design and construction via technical documentation, marketing displays, and sales presentations.

The competition will also feature the Ocean Career Expo, organized by the MATE Center and its partners in the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE).

We encourage you to join us! You can also visit the MATE competition web site at www.marinetech.org where a LIVE videostream (including scores, photos, and video clips) will be hosted during the event.