The next edition of the international Mars rover challenge – ERC – has been announced. This year it will take place on September 13-15 on the Kielce University of Technology campus.
The beginning of February has brought us some news from the Polish space sector. Poland is taking big steps in the world of robotics, both as far as the industrial and mobile as well as space field is concerned. We also have a growing demand for staff in the space industry connected with the growing potential of Polish companies and institutions as well as their participation in a larger number of missions and space projects that we have been noticing for a few years now – says Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Gowin.
The registration of teams for the fifth edition of the European Rover Challenge has just started. Every year this prestigious international event attracts more and more people passionate about the space and robotics. In 2018 the challenge enjoyed huge interest. As many as 65 teams from 20 countries from all over the world applied. This is an amazing record that is very motivating for us, the organisers – says Łukasz Wilczyński, President of the European Space Foundation. Through the variety of events organised along with the challenge we try to demonstrate how thriving the space and robotics area is in our country and how the possibilities for everyone with a space DNA in their blood constantly increase. We are aware that thanks to such events as ERC, which has been included in the National Space Programme, more and more young people, including students from technical universities, discover and develop their passion, which later becomes the key to their career in the space industry. The organisers’ plans also include a conference as well as mentoring and business workshops which are a platform for exchanging information, knowledge and possibilities of developing in the area of science, business, new technologies and space.
In 2019 the host of the European Rover Challenge is the Kielce University of Technology whose team has achieved some successes during the challenge a few times already. The Kielce University of Technology gives lots of opportunities: an excellent location in the city centre and contribution of this prestigious technical university to the development of the Polish space and robotics sector are only some of the aspects that influenced the decision about the location of this year’s edition of ERC. The European Rover Challenge is not only a competition for young people passionate about the technical world. In the first place, this is an opportunity to test so-called high technology. The fact that the challenge is being organised at the Kielce University of Technology proves the prestigious position of our school which in the last few years has clearly focused on the cooperation with the industry and developing advanced technologies. This is also a recognition for our successes in this area – says Prof. Wiesław Trąmpczyński, Rector of the Kielce University of Technology. On our behalf we will do everything to make the challenge go as well as possible – he adds.
The European Rover Challenge 2019 is co-organised by the European Space Foundation, Mars Society Polska, Starachowice Special Economic Zone and the Kielce University of Technology.