The Yıldız Technical University Solarboat Team will represent Turkey at the Njord Autonomous Challenge, to be held in Trondheim, Norway, from August 3–17, 2026. Having completed months of preparation, the team aims to make YTÜ and Turkey known to the world on the international stage with the autonomous boat they have developed.

The YTÜ Solarboat Team, which operates under the Faculty of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at Yıldız Technical University, has departed for Trondheim, Norway, to participate in the Njord Autonomous Challenge 2026, a competition that brings together university teams from around the world. The team will compete with the autonomous marine vehicle they developed at the event, which will take place between August 3 and 17. 

Rector Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik: “You will be the ones to make your mark on the Trondheim Fjord.”

The YTÜ Solarboat Team had also met with our Rector, Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, during the preparation process. Debik showed his support for the students by signing the autonomous boat developed by the team. 

Before departing for Norway, the team posted a message thanking Yıldız Technical University Rector Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, the Directorate of Health, Culture, and Sports, and the academic staff for their support throughout the preparation process. 

Prof. Dr. Debik, in turn, shared the post on his social media account and wrote the following:

“My dear students, the signature we placed on your boat was actually just a small token of the faith we have in you. Now, you will leave your true mark—through your hard work, determination, and engineering—on the Trondheim Fjord.”

“I wholeheartedly believe that you will represent our glorious flag and the name of Yıldız in the best possible way at the Njord Autonomous Challenge. May your path be clear and your course be one of success. We look forward to hearing good news from you in Norway.”

Months of preparation take the stage on the international scene

Following months of intensive preparation, the YTÜ Solarboat Team, which will compete in Trondheim, aims to achieve successful results at this international event with the autonomous marine vehicle it has developed. In this event, which brings together university teams from different countries, the team aims to represent Yıldız Technical University and Turkey in the best possible way while showcasing its engineering expertise, innovative solutions, and teamwork.

23 teams will compete for the same goal

This year, a total of 23 university teams from Turkey, Norway, Poland, Japan, Canada, India, Croatia, Spain, and Scotland will participate in the Njord Autonomous Challenge.

The participating teams and their countries are as follows: 

Navier USN (Norway)

AGH Solar Boat (Poland)

Marinor NTNU (Norway)

Navi USV (Turkey)

Pru-Ida (Turkey)

Ligmax (Norway)

Turquoise (Turkey)

Kapsul Yazgit Pruva (Turkey)

StrathVoyager (Scotland)

Autobee (Turkey)

HUMBER (Canada)

Innovators of Blue Ocean (Japan)

Yıldız TU Solarboat (Turkey)

Aritra (India)

ITUAS (Turkey)

MYS YAVUS (Turkey)

Zerone Tech Kilic (Turkey)

GELIDONYA (Turkey)

SimLe SeaSentinel (Poland)

Adria Autonomous Boat (Croatia)

PUSULA USV (Turkey)

1.5 Adana AITO (Turkey)

NODE (Spain)

The meeting point for autonomous maritime technologies

Organized by Njord NTNU, a division of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the competition brings together student teams from around the world in the field of autonomous surface vehicles.

Participants demonstrate their expertise in engineering, artificial intelligence, sensing systems, control algorithms, and maritime technologies by testing the autonomous marine vehicles they have designed and developed in real-world mission scenarios.

Held annually, the event enables students to apply their theoretical knowledge, gain experience in interdisciplinary collaboration, and contribute to the advancement of autonomous maritime technologies.