Innovation to the Extreme: How Solar Team Twente 2023 Works with GITP to Achieve Their Ultimate Goal

Solar Team Twente consists of 21 students from the University of Twente, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and ROC van Twente. Their shared goal is to win the prestigious biennial World Solar Challenge in Australia—a 3,000-kilometer race with a self-built solar-powered car. Kirsten Bouwman, the team manager, shares, “GITP’s tools helped us assemble the best possible team from the fifty applications we received.” Due to travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 race was held in Morocco. Kirsten adds, “Although the team won in Morocco, we are highly motivated to go all out in Australia in 2023. It is the most impressive race to win.”

Forming the Best Team

GITP has a long-standing partnership with Solar Team Twente. Helen Brouwers, a digital consultant at GITP, has been involved for a long time: “Over the years, we have fine-tuned specific profiles for the team. This allows us to achieve the best possible match, not only for the roles within the team but also for a good dynamic among team members. Online assessments are an essential part of the selection process.” Kirsten adds, “It was my first time doing an online assessment. I found it remarkable how well motivations and personalities are revealed in such a test. The selection committee knew who I was and what I found important despite only seeing me a few times.”

Building a Cohesive Team

In a race like the Solar Challenge, a cohesive team is crucial. Therefore, Solar Team Twente engages in many team-building activities. Kirsten explains, “We participated in an outdoor challenge park, which involved physically expressing trust in each other. It was fun to share that experience.” GITP also hosted a team session at their office. Helen was one of the advisors from GITP who facilitated it: “Using online data from the 21 team members' reports, we created insightful analytics. We examined talents in personality, motivations, and competencies and presented this to the team. Sub-teams, such as the management, communication, and technical teams, then worked interactively with their data.”

Kirsten found this approach very beneficial: “It was fascinating to see why people were selected and how team members complement each other in terms of personality and work style. For instance, we could see which character traits influence each person’s management style. This helps us maximize each other’s positive attributes.”

Constructive Feedback through ‘Gossip’

One of the exercises Solar Team Twente 2023 used involved a feedback round where team members playfully ‘gossiped’ about each other to provide constructive feedback. Kirsten recalls, “It was an enjoyable and effective exercise. The feedback included both compliments and critiques. Having a moment dedicated to this was valuable because such things are not often expressed openly.”

The team took the data from the reports home to build on in their work. Kirsten explains, “We often refer back to the important information revealed for the (sub)teams to remind each other of personal qualities and how well they fit within the (sub)team. We can also point out pitfalls to each other. This has contributed to the acceptance and appreciation of individual differences, making us a stronger and more confident team.”

Staying Motivated to Win

A stronger and more confident team is essential to achieving their goals. The 2021 success in Morocco wasn’t the end for Solar Team Twente. Kirsten emphasizes, “The race in Australia in 2023 is the most prestigious. That’s the one you really want to win! Staying motivated is not difficult for us. It’s such an incredible project to work on. The whole team is highly intrinsically motivated, which is infectious. Innovation never stops—we always look for ways to be more sustainable and push the technology to its limits. The race has so many different aspects that there’s always a challenge or room for improvement. We are very result-oriented and enjoy not only the end result but also the journey.”