Mintlaw ROV return with MVP Award

Mintlaw ROV return from the MATE ROV World Championships with MVP Award.

The Mintlaw ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) school project soared onto the global stage as part of the Scottish delegation at the 2025 MATE ROV World Finals held in Alpena, Michigan. As regional winners of Scotland MATE ROV competition, the team from Mintlaw Academy, travelled to Alpena, to compete in the MATE ROV World Championships 19-21st June 2025.

Nearly 80 robotics teams, representing 18 countries and 22 US states, travelled to Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan to compete with their underwater robots. The team of enthusiastic students showcased creativity, technical ingenuity, and a deep understanding of marine robotics during the prestigious international event. The Scottish regional event is hosted by Robert Gordon University and is sponsored by Serica Energy, Harbour Energy and Wood. As a school team Mintlaw Academy also has a large array of its own sponsors, to whom they are indebted.

Mintlaw ROV return from the MATE ROV World Championships with MVP Award. 2 — Mintlaw ROV return from the MATE ROV World Championships with MVP Award.

The world finals challenge tasked teams with designing, building, and piloting underwater robots to complete simulated mission tasks modelled after real-world maritime operations that are required in the vast waters of the Great Lakes. Judged on Technical Documentation, an Engineering Presentation, Marketing Display and a timed Product Demonstration the points are then accumulated to determine the overall winners. Against stiff competition from countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Japan, the Mintlaw ROV worked hard to compete with their vehicle which had a sleek design, robust chassis, and precise navigational controls. The product demonstrations didn’t go quite to plan as buoyancy and tether problems were experienced and their float, damaged in transit, experienced electronics issues, however they persevered and worked on repairs before and between runs to achieve their best in the pool.

A highlight of the Scottish team’s performance was their technical engineering presentation, where they explained the vehicle’s design, control systems, and mission strategy, aligning with their company’s strategy. Amy Chalmers, acting CEO on pool side, engineer and presenter, was singled out for her exceptional clarity and professionalism. Her ability to communicate complex technical concepts stood head and shoulders above the field, earning her selection for the prestigious ‘Most Valuable Person (MVP) award for Engineering Presentations.’ She was chosen from Engineering presentations from across all the Secondary Schools (Ranger Class), which was a great achievement.

Mintlaw ROV return from the MATE ROV World Championships with MVP Award. 3

Amy Chalmers said: “This is an amazing honour to win this award. I’m so proud for my family, school and thankful for the feedback from our practice run at Serica which proved to be so valuable”.

This was endorsed by the Mintlaw ROV teacher leader/coach and Deputy Head Mr Ali Hynd who said, “It’s a privilege to work with Serica Energy who have been supportive of the teams journey the past 3 years”.

The group rekindled old friendships and made new ones whilst in Alpena, as Mintlaw ROV is well known around the globe as a regular competitor in MATE ROV competitions.

Dr Ros Shanks (Scottish & International Judge) said “Mintlaw ROV have made Scotland proud, they have been great ambassadors for MATE Scotland and congratulations goes to Amy for her MVP award, it was very well deserved and in fact the whole team deserve congratulations for the hard work they have put in to get to the World Championships and what they have achieved here in Alpena. I would also like to thank all the schools who took part in the Scottish Regional, everyone who participated has achieved a great deal by taking part in MATE ROV. Finally, thanks goes to MATE Scotland sponsors Serica Energy, Harbour Energy & Wood, without whom we would not be able to run the Regional in Scotland or send teams to represent at the World Championships”.

Despite tough competition, the Mintlaw ROV crew’s strong showing underscored their passion and technical competence. Their achievement in reaching the World Finals not only demonstrated Scotland’s emerging presence in STEM education but also highlighted the effectiveness of hands‑on, project‑based learning. With recognition like Amy’s MVP nomination, the future looks bright for Scotland’s next generation of marine engineers.