Hello! My name is Robin Stokke, I’m 21 years old and am currently in my fourth year of studying Marine cybernetics. I thrive when working as a part of a team on engaging projects, and I therefore feel privileged to have spent this last year as leader of the Njord technical team.

Why did you join Njord?

As soon as I began studying Marine technology here in Trondheim, I set myself a goal to end up working with autonomous vessels. They embodied my interests to such a degree that it seemed like the perfect choice. Like most other students at NTNU, I was already involved with a number of student organisations at the time, filling a lot of one’s free time. Despite this, when I heard about Njord, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

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What is your role in Njord?

My role is to define the Challenge’s objective and create a framework that facilitates a fair competition. This includes figuring out specifications and regulations teams have to follow, and as we’re hosting a digital competition, develop the Njord simulation platform. This has been an enormous learning curve, but thanks to all of our mentors, collaborators and the rest of the technical team, we are confident that the first Challenge will motivate and engage students from all around the world.

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What is it like being a part of Njord?

Being a part of Njord is a privilege. We’re not a large group of students, but we’re all constantly pushing each other and challenging the boundaries of what we thought was possible. There have been weeks where so much has happened that it felt like a month had passed. And afterwards, taking a break and enjoying an evening with the team makes the effort well worth it.

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Why do you think others should join?

The list of upsides is long; working with industry-leading companies and other motivated students, learning about marine autonomy and having the opportunity to create something entirely new. I can only promise that you won’t regret it!

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