Chalmers University of Technology is taking a more coordinated approach to supporting student-led project teams. Through these projects, students put knowledge from their studies directly into practice by developing technical solutions and competing with them internationally. The aim is to increase the number of teams over time.
In 2026, Chalmers Formula Sailing Team competed in the SuMoth Challenge on Lake Garda in Italy with their self-built foiling boat, Saga.
The student-led competition projects are now being brought together under the shared name Chalmers Student Teams. Through the initiative, students have the opportunity to work together to develop solutions to complex technical challenges and gain experience beyond their regular studies. At the same time, they can gain a clearer idea of which career paths they might want to pursue in the future.
The projects currently include solar-powered cars and foiling sailing boats to ultra-fuel-efficient competition cars and various types of flying craft.
Real-world problem-solving
Students devote countless hours to designing, building, testing and refining their projects ahead of international student competitions. The work takes place in their spare time on Chalmers premises and is driven by the students’ own commitment.
For Martin Stjernkvist of Chalmers Aero Team, the work involves dealing with technical trade-offs that do not always have an obvious solution.
“We might, for example, design an aerodynamically optimal wing, only to discover that it cannot be manufactured using the methods available to us. We then have to find a compromise between performance and what can actually be built. That kind of real-world problem-solving is what makes the experience so valuable,” says Martin Stjernkvist.
The international competitions give the projects clear goals and a set of rules to work within, while bringing together student teams from different countries to compete with their solutions.
“We are of course very pleased about success in competitions, but we are even more proud of the knowledge and skills that the students develop and apply together to create technical solutions,” says Kristina Henricson Briggs, Director of Tracks, which coordinates the student teams. “It gives students the opportunity to grow into the role of an engineer even before entering working life.”
Room to grow
Chalmers’ investment provides stronger overall support for the teams. They now have access to an assembly hall at Fuse on campus, where they can work on their projects and use the adjacent workshops. The financial arrangements are also being reviewed with the aim of making conditions more equal across the teams.
“We hope this initiative will give us better opportunities to grow as a team and develop more advanced projects. Resources, funding and the reassurance of having Chalmers behind us give us the opportunity to develop in the long term, both as engineers and as a team,” say Felix Ferin and Lina Rybeck of Chalmers Solar Team.
More teams over time
“We would like to see more teams and a broader range of subject areas represented, but at the same time it is important that the students themselves drive the activities. Chalmers should not exercise too much control. A large part of the value lies in allowing the teams to take responsibility, deal with challenges and find their own solutions within the framework provided,” says Kristina Henricson Briggs.
Teams currently included in the initiative
• Chalmers Aero Team
• Chalmers Autonomous Rescue Team
• Chalmers Caesar Team
• Chalmers Formula Sailing Team
• Chalmers Solar Team
• Chalmers Vera Team
Did you know that …
Chalmers’ initiative is in line with the approach taken by several leading international universities to student-led competition and project teams.
Working in a student team provides experience of collaborating on large-scale projects, where students with different areas of expertise need to solve problems together.
The student teams complement the activities of the Chalmers Student Union and are run by students in their spare time on Chalmers premises.
Contact person
Kristina Henricson Briggs
- Head of Unit, General Support, Chalmers Operations Support
Kristina Henricson Briggs
- Head of Unit, General Support, Chalmers Operations Support