Representatives of the European Commission in Bulgaria encouraged the participants in Shell’s Eco-marathon

The head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria – Mr. Ognyan Zlatev – accepted to meet all the students who have participated in the European competition for fuel economy and intelligent mobility - Shell Eco-Marathon 2013. He congratulated the young engineers for their outstanding performance in the race, for their team spirit and consistency in tackling greater challenges during the marathon.

Moreover, Mr. Zlatev shared the results from the observation of the European Commission on the decreasing number of young people, interested in studying technical sciences in Bulgaria or in other countries of the European Union (EU). He admitted that the trend is disturbing, especially given the increased demand for qualified engineers, mathematicians and technical experts. In order to address this issue and in line with the priorities set out in the European strategy for development “Europe 2020”, the head of the representation stated his readiness to support initiatives, which help students advance their practical skills and give them access to innovations – the kind of project Shell Eco-marathon actually is. He furthermore commented that the initiative and the opportunities it provides to the young engineers should be popularized both on the national and European level.

In the spirit of Shell’s policy to encourage the development of young technical experts, the company plans on working even more actively on promoting engineering in Bulgaria, said Ms. Kamelia Slaveykova, CEO of Shell Bulgaria EAD. For this purpose, Shell will make a proposition to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science for an expert work group to be accredited, which will identify the steps needed in order to resolve the problem of the shortage of engineers in the country. The work group will comprise academics, representatives of the business and industry organizations. Moreover, the participants in Shell Eco-marathon Europe will be as well invited to join.

The meeting with the Representation carried forward with the participants stories of Shell Eco-marathon, their adventure, experience and their impression of the competition. The competitors also shared their vision for the future means for intelligent energy consumption. Through the construction of economic and environment-friendly automobiles, the students would contribute to the creation of a sustainable transport system.