“We set up this event ourselves in cooperation with TU/e and the Dutch embassy,” says Bob van Ginkel, Technical Manager & PR at Solar Team Eindhoven. “With it, we hope to show the European Parliament all the possibilities and inspire them.”

By “all the possibilities”, Van Ginkel is referring to Stella Terra, Solar Team Eindhoven’s self-built off-road solar car. It is fully self-sufficient and the first of its kind capable of taking on adventures on both paved and unpaved roads. Yesterday, Solar Team Eindhoven made a special visit to the Dutch embassy in Brussels to show off their creation. “It’s very important that we, as an innovative student team at the forefront of the field, also engage and inspire policy makers at the European Parliament so that it will truly bring about change,” Van Ginkel explains.

This is not the first time that Solar Team Eindhoven has showcased a one of its creations here. “Two years ago, our camper Stella Vita also visited the residence,” Van Ginkel explains. “However, that event had a different focus, because there were other parties involved as well. This time, the event revolved entirely around Stella Terra.”

Not all about technology

In addition to Solar Team Eindhoven, the GO Green Office (GGO) was also present in Brussels to present their story. “At GGO, we see that the technofix is not the solution to everything; we also need societal change,” stressed Elano Franken, Strategic Manager at GGO. “That means we all have a really deep understanding of why sustainability is needed, why we need to change our own behavior.”

As sustainability ambassadors, the members of GGO are constantly working to spur this change within TU/e. Yesterday they talked about one of the ways they are trying to do this: with the Chair of the Future. A symbol to always keep one chair empty during every meeting. This chair represents the future and serves as a reminder to take sustainability into consideration when making decisions. “With the Chair of the Future, we’re now working with deans of different departments to map the current status of sustainability for each department, and then compare that to what we think should be the target,” Franken adds.

A success?

“Yes, I think so”, says Van Ginkel. “Everyone seemed to realize that ‘yes, this is where the future should be headed’. That a change needs to be brought about and that this is one of the ways that could be done.” Franken is also very positive. “We were truly able to deliver a ‘call to action,’ especially in the presence of the Executive Board. The fact that we got to join the Solar Team at such an event felt like a real tipping point,” he says. “It was great to have the balance between people working really hard on technical solutions, and us as sustainability ambassadors delving deeper into social matters.”

Tour de Brussels

In addition to all the serious talk, there was also time for some relaxation, fortunately. For example, a large part of Solar Team Eindhoven took Stella Terra for a tour of Brussels. “It was very special to drive our self-built solar car through the streets of Brussels. The off-road vehicle turned many heads,” says Van Ginkel enthusiastically.