New Jersey, USA: Umicore robotics team stars in world championship
Congratulations to Umicore-sponsored “Team Overdrive” for a great 6th place in the robotics World Championship in 
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Inspiring science students
“Team Overdrive” was founded by Tom Moser, general manager of Umicore Precious Metals NJ, in 2006. It is designed to help students who are interested in science to get hands-on experience in the world of design, engineering and technology – played out in the spirit of sports through the annual Robotics Competition. 
“After hard work and a lot of fun, students come away with a greater appreciation of science and technology and how they might use it to positively impact the world around them” says Tom Moser.
“In addition, they cultivate life skills such as planning, brainstorming, teamwork, leadership as well as research and technical skills.”
Robotics Competition challenges teams of young people and their mentors to solve a common problem using a standard “kit of parts” and a common set of rules. Teams build robots from the approved parts and enter them in a series of competitions.
Community support
To offset the costs – competition entry fees, travel and lodging, and robot parts that alone cost $3000 – Team Overdrive sought financial support from the local community. Part of the costs is covered by official sponsors like Umicore. The rest is provided by student fund raising activities, such as car washing, garage sales and babysitting.