Saab UK Hosts Youth STEM Challenge

Saab UK hosted the South regional heat of Global Underwater Hub’s (GUH) STEM Challenge at its Fareham campus, welcoming school pupils for a hands‑on introduction to underwater engineering and marine technology.

Delivered by GUH in partnership with educational charity The Smallpeice Trust, the one‑day challenge saw 10 teams of students aged 13–14 design, build, code and operate model wheeled ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) to address the issue of plastic pollution in the marine environment. Using Lego Spike kits, the pupils demonstrated strong technical skills, creativity and teamwork before pitching their solutions to a panel of industry judges.

Throughout the event, students had the opportunity to meet Saab UK engineers and explore how science and engineering subjects are applied in real‑world underwater robotics, while gaining insight into future STEM career paths.

Saab UK congratulates St Oscar Romero Catholic School, who were named winners of the South regional heat after impressing judges with their Tadpole ROV. The team will now go on to represent the region at the national final in Aberdeen.

The event took place at Saab UK’s center of excellence for underwater robotics, which officially opened in February 2025, supporting global offshore and subsea operations. Hosting the competition offered pupils rare insight into a working engineering environment and the people behind cutting‑edge underwater systems.