On June 11, the Gestamp Foundation held another edition of the Formula Student Teams Meeting, an event that brought together nearly 100 attendees in Madrid, including college students, Gestamp professionals, volunteers, industry experts, and former Formula Student participants.

The event, held at Gestamp’s corporate offices, brought together eight teams from different regions of Spain to share experiences, present their projects, and gain insight into the real-world challenges of the automotive industry.

Formula Student is an international competition in which college students design, develop, and build a single-seater race car. In addition to applying their technical engineering knowledge, participants develop skills related to project management, business planning, leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Through the Gestamp Foundation, support for this initiative aims to strengthen the connection between academia and industry, guiding students in their technical and professional development. The teams receive financial support, mentoring, and guidance from Gestamp professionals who volunteer with the Gestamp Foundation, as well as the opportunity to gain firsthand insight into the company’s industrial operations.

Participants in this edition included MAD Formula Team from Carlos III University of Madrid; ISC Formula Student Racing Team from Comillas Pontifical University; BCN eMotorsport from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia; Formula Student Bizkaia from the University of the Basque Country; FSUPV Team from the Polytechnic University of Valencia; UVigo Motorsport from the University of Vigo; Tecnun eRacing from the University of Navarra; and Formula Student Vitoria from the University of the Basque Country, Álava Campus

Engineering, Purpose, and Young Talent

The event began with opening remarks by Mónica Riberas, executive director of the Gestamp Foundation, who highlighted the Foundation’s role as a bridge between education, industry, and young talent.

Next, Pablo Sánchez Bergasa, in collaboration with the Lo Que De Verdad Importa Foundation, delivered a presentation titled “Engineering with a Purpose: Talent in the Service of People.” His talk reminded attendees that engineering, beyond its technical aspects, can also serve people, directly connecting with values essential to the Gestamp Foundation such as commitment, collaboration, and the spirit of self-improvement.

Following the presentation, the eight teams presented their projects, sharing the progress made this season, the challenges they faced, and the technical and organizational work behind each race car.

The event also featured former Formula Student members who currently work at Gestamp. Their testimonials highlighted how the experience gained during the competition can contribute to the development of professional skills and serve as the starting point for a career in the industry.

A Hackathon Focused on Industry Challenges

During the second part of the event, Patricia Riberas, Chief Corporate Officer at Gestamp, delivered a presentation titled “Keys to Innovation in the Automotive Sector: Challenges and Opportunities in an Industry Undergoing Transformation.”

The session served as an introduction to The Gestamp Challenge, a hackathon in which students organized themselves into eight mixed-gender teams to foster collaboration among participants from different universities.

The groups worked on two real-world challenges in the automotive sector: one related to digitalization and artificial intelligence, and the other focused on engineering. Throughout the activity, they were accompanied by volunteers from the Gestamp Foundation and company professionals—many of whom were former Formula Student participants—who served as mentors.

At the end of the challenge, each team presented its proposal, putting skills such as analysis, creativity, communication, decision-making, and collaborative work into practice.
The event also included an exhibition and networking session, where attendees could learn about the teams’ projects. FSUPV Team, from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, transported its race car to Madrid, providing an up-close look at the technical work, dedication, and innovation behind the project.

Universities, Industry, and Future Opportunities

The Formula Student Teams Meeting is not just an event to showcase race cars. It is a space to share lessons learned, forge connections between universities, and expose students to the challenges of an industry in constant transformation.

Values such as commitment, perseverance, cooperation, trust, and camaraderie were evident throughout the event and reflect the vision shared by the Gestamp Foundation and the participating teams.

Through this initiative, the Gestamp Foundation reaffirms its commitment to education, employability, and the development of STEM talent, creating opportunities for a new generation of professionals to transform the knowledge they’ve acquired in the classroom into real solutions for the future of the automotive industry.