MOL Welcomes High School Students Who Competed in the MIT "Autonomous RACECAR Grand Prix" World Competition Sponsored by MOL for a Results Presentation and Headquarters Tour

October 02, 2025

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) continued its sponsorship of the Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) STEAM education program for high school students (Note 1), held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, as it did last year. MOL invited four high school students who participated in one of BWSI's programs, the "Autonomous RACECAR Grand Prix" (the World Competition) (Note 2), to its headquarters for a results presentation and tour. The students shared their valuable experiences from the World Competition, and MOL provided an introduction and hands-on session with the Safety Operation Supporting Center (SOSC) and DP Simulator.

MOL has identified "Next-Generation Human Resource Development" as a key area of its social contribution activities, supporting children who will lead the future and promoting the appeal of the maritime industry. Prior to the World Competition held in August 2025, the domestic qualifying race "GLOBAL TECH" (the Japan Competition) was held in June 2025, with 37 junior and high school students from nine schools participating. MOL sponsored the MIT educational programs, including both the World and Japan Competitions, through the operating company ICHINOYA Co., Ltd. (President: Daiki Fukuda, Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).

At the World Competition, in addition to the four Japanese representatives who won first and second place in the Japan Competition, teams selected from the United States, Italy, and Greece participated, allowing students from around the world to strive toward the same goal.

Scenes from the day of the "Autonomous RACECAR Grand Prix" (World Competition)

In the seminar series for BWSI participants, where world-leading companies and professors give lectures, Nobuyuki Onishi from Ship Technical Unit in MOL delivered a lecture. Onishi spoke to more than 400 students, including 150 in-person and 270 online participants, about MOL's environmental initiatives, such as the Wind Challenger (hard sail wind assisted ship propulsion system), based on the knowledge accumulated over more than 140 years in ship and marine operations.

Lecture during the MITBWSI seminar series

This year, as a collaboration project with "MOL Ambassadors" program (Note 3), a programming study session was held for seven ambassadors.

MOL Group will continue to support students in Japan and abroad who will shape the future in various ways.

(Note 1) A STEAM education program for high school students sponsored by MIT Beaver Works (MITBW). Held each summer, students learn the latest technologies and engineering skills being developed and applied in the real world through project-based workshops.

(Note 2) A car race in which MIT's driverless cars are driven with their own programming code and compete for positions. The course has many obstacles and shortcuts, and effectively executing the control algorithm in consideration of these obstacles and shortcuts is critical to success.

(Note 3) MOL Ambassadors are students who learn about the importance of protecting the oceans and the appeal of the shipping industry and play a role in communicating what they learn to their peers who will shape the future. Currently, 10 elementary, junior high, and high school students have been appointed as MOL Ambassadors and are actively engaged in their roles. For more details, please refer to the "MOL Information" below.
- June 27, 2025: 'MOL Ambassadors', the Future Leaders of the Shipping Industry, Visit Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines

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"BLUE ACTION MOL" is a general term for the Sustainable Action by MOL Group that balance corporate growth and a sustainable society. We have incorporated the intention "for ALL" to promote social contribution activities as a group for all environments and creatures on earth into this word and have set MOL Group's social contribution activities as "BLUE ACTION for ALL", as the group's social contribution activities to promote activities based on priority areas. Social Contribution Activities | Sustainability | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.