How Shell inspires young people to think sustainably, shares Vanya Ivancheva, CEO of the company
Shell Eco-marathon celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025. How does this initiative fit into Shell's long-term strategy?
Shell is a company whose core activities have always been innovation. We have numerous examples of this on a global scale. Through Shell Eco-marathon, we inspire the talents of the new generation to create innovations in mobility. Started long before sustainability became a mainstream topic, the program challenges school students and university students to build a car that can travel the maximum distance with minimal energy consumption. The initiative is ahead of its time – decades ago, teams were already building cars powered by hydrogen and electricity – sources that are increasingly entering our daily lives today. This is precisely the direction we are striving for at Shell – to accelerate progress through more and cleaner energy solutions. True to this aspiration, 'Shell Bulgaria' supports Bulgarian educational institutions to participate in the competition, and for 18 years now, our school and university teams have been participating and leaving their mark on it.
What are the business benefits of investing in such initiatives?
Through this program, we encourage interest in STEM disciplines, which are highly valued by business, making them more accessible and inspiring for young people. But it offers much more – alongside the purely technical skills that participants refine, they develop their creative thinking, innovation, and leadership. We also support them through training in presentation skills, media work, and sponsor acquisition. Shell Eco-marathon becomes a real training ground where participants solve complex problems and develop key skills sought by any business. The strong rankings of Bulgarian teams, including two third-place finishes in the last two competitions, are proof that there is potential in our country that deserves support.
Is interest in Shell Eco-marathon growing in the country?
Yes, interest is growing because Shell Eco-marathon gives school students and university students the opportunity to apply theory in a real engineering project. They see how what they learn in the classroom powers a car built by themselves – this is invaluable practical experience. This field for applying and enriching knowledge and skills is valued, and we note growing interest from new schools. In 2025, six Bulgarian teams with a total of 30 school students and university students participated in the European competition. A few more high schools have expressed interest in the next edition. Participation requires significant effort – from technical preparation to finding sponsors, so we are happy to see more determined teachers, school students, and university students who identify with this cause and join with great enthusiasm.
Is there applicability of the experience from Shell Ecomarathon in real life?
We have numerous examples from Western Europe of patents realized after participation in the program. In Bulgaria, it also has a sufficiently long history to see practical results. One of the first participants from TU – Sofia, Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Burdin – today in his role as a researcher at BAS, is among the leading figures in the development of hydrogen mobility in our country. His team created the first hydrogen station in the country and is actively working on the implementation of hydrogen technologies in industry. We also have a successful example from Ruse University for a patent on an onboard system for managing electric vehicles as a continuation of the team's participation in the Shell Ecomarathon. With the right support from the state and business, such solutions can be enhanced and become part of the real transformation towards sustainable transport and climate solutions.
Eng. Todor Lazarov, head of Blue-EV from PGSGST "N. Vaptsarov" – Chepelare
In Chepelare, you are creating an electric prototype that has ranked in the top 3 of the Shell Eco-marathon for the second consecutive year. What are your plans for development from here on?
After our successful performance in the "Prototype with electric battery" category, we are now developing a second project – a city-type electric car. With it, we will soon be the first school in Bulgaria with two active teams in different categories. We strive to be among the leading three teams in the world in both directions, as well as to qualify for the global competition – because we believe that even from a small town like Chepelare, we can achieve great results.
Assoc. Prof. Plamen Punov, head of TUS Team from TU – Sofia
You are competing in one of the most difficult categories – city cars with hydrogen fuel cells. Is this, in your opinion, the future of transport in a zero-emission world?
The role of hydrogen is key to achieving a carbon-neutral economy in the coming decades and for storing green energy. When the production of green hydrogen is large enough and the price is affordable for consumers, it can be widely used to power hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This, alongside electric vehicles, will lead to carbon-neutral transport. It is with this belief of ours that we developed our city hydrogen car, with which we ranked third in the Shell Eco-marathon Europe for two consecutive years.
manager.bg
Shell Eco-marathon celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025. How does this initiative fit into Shell's long-term strategy?
Shell is a company whose core activities have always been innovation. We have numerous examples of this on a global scale. Through Shell Eco-marathon, we inspire the talents of the new generation to create innovations in mobility. Started long before sustainability became a mainstream topic, the program challenges school students and university students to build a car that can travel the maximum distance with minimal energy consumption. The initiative is ahead of its time – decades ago, teams were already building cars powered by hydrogen and electricity – sources that are increasingly entering our daily lives today. This is precisely the direction we are striving for at Shell – to accelerate progress through more and cleaner energy solutions. True to this aspiration, 'Shell Bulgaria' supports Bulgarian educational institutions to participate in the competition, and for 18 years now, our school and university teams have been participating and leaving their mark on it.
What are the business benefits of investing in such initiatives?
Through this program, we encourage interest in STEM disciplines, which are highly valued by business, making them more accessible and inspiring for young people. But it offers much more – alongside the purely technical skills that participants refine, they develop their creative thinking, innovation, and leadership. We also support them through training in presentation skills, media work, and sponsor acquisition. Shell Eco-marathon becomes a real training ground where participants solve complex problems and develop key skills sought by any business. The strong rankings of Bulgarian teams, including two third-place finishes in the last two competitions, are proof that there is potential in our country that deserves support.
Is interest in Shell Eco-marathon growing in the country?
Yes, interest is growing because Shell Eco-marathon gives school students and university students the opportunity to apply theory in a real engineering project. They see how what they learn in the classroom powers a car built by themselves – this is invaluable practical experience. This field for applying and enriching knowledge and skills is valued, and we note growing interest from new schools. In 2025, six Bulgarian teams with a total of 30 school students and university students participated in the European competition. A few more high schools have expressed interest in the next edition. Participation requires significant effort – from technical preparation to finding sponsors, so we are happy to see more determined teachers, school students, and university students who identify with this cause and join with great enthusiasm.
Is there applicability of the experience from Shell Ecomarathon in real life?
We have numerous examples from Western Europe of patents realized after participation in the program. In Bulgaria, it also has a sufficiently long history to see practical results. One of the first participants from TU – Sofia, Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Burdin – today in his role as a researcher at BAS, is among the leading figures in the development of hydrogen mobility in our country. His team created the first hydrogen station in the country and is actively working on the implementation of hydrogen technologies in industry. We also have a successful example from Ruse University for a patent on an onboard system for managing electric vehicles as a continuation of the team's participation in the Shell Ecomarathon. With the right support from the state and business, such solutions can be enhanced and become part of the real transformation towards sustainable transport and climate solutions.
Eng. Todor Lazarov, head of Blue-EV from PGSGST "N. Vaptsarov" – Chepelare
In Chepelare, you are creating an electric prototype that has ranked in the top 3 of the Shell Eco-marathon for the second consecutive year. What are your plans for development from here on?
After our successful performance in the "Prototype with electric battery" category, we are now developing a second project – a city-type electric car. With it, we will soon be the first school in Bulgaria with two active teams in different categories. We strive to be among the leading three teams in the world in both directions, as well as to qualify for the global competition – because we believe that even from a small town like Chepelare, we can achieve great results.
Assoc. Prof. Plamen Punov, head of TUS Team from TU – Sofia
You are competing in one of the most difficult categories – city cars with hydrogen fuel cells. Is this, in your opinion, the future of transport in a zero-emission world?
The role of hydrogen is key to achieving a carbon-neutral economy in the coming decades and for storing green energy. When the production of green hydrogen is large enough and the price is affordable for consumers, it can be widely used to power hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This, alongside electric vehicles, will lead to carbon-neutral transport. It is with this belief of ours that we developed our city hydrogen car, with which we ranked third in the Shell Eco-marathon Europe for two consecutive years.
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