Lowell Team Wins Bright Electronics Challenge

Team Fishies from University of Massachusetts Lowell took first place in the 2026 Bright Electronics Manufacturing Challenge.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Job Fairs

Close photograph of a bare green circuit board with copper traces and a small racing robot chassis on a workbench in a brick-walled workshop. — Team Fishies from the University of Massachusetts Lowell won first place and a $2,000 prize in the 2026 Bright Electronics Manufacturing Challenge over 31 national teams. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Team Fishies from the University of Massachusetts Lowell won first place in the Bright Electronics Manufacturing Challenge 2026 and received a $2,000 cash prize. The national competition field included 31 teams and 124 students from 14 schools.

Why it matters

The win highlights hands-on electronics manufacturing skills among students competing nationally against peers from across the country. For Lowell, it puts the university's student engineering teams in the spotlight for the region's growing manufacturing workforce.

The grand prize was $2,000 and the Round 2 hand-assembly prize was $500, awarded from a national field of 31 teams that included 124 students from 14 schools. Eleven teams advanced to the SMTA International finals in Rosemont, Illinois.

The players

Electronics Manufacturing & Assembly Collaborative

The organization that ran the Bright Electronics Manufacturing Challenge and announced its final results, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

University of Massachusetts Lowell

The public research university whose student team, Team Fishies, won first place in the challenge.

The details

In Round 2, finalists hand-assembled and soldered custom PCB designs on-site, with Team Copper Country Huskies from Michigan Tech University earning that round's honors. Team Fishies then won the final head-to-head racing runoff against Team Buff Bots from SUNY Buffalo, while Team Buff Bots also took the People's Choice award for coolest robot.

October 27-28, 2026: SMTA International finals held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.
November 4, 2026: Electronics Manufacturing & Assembly Collaborative announced the final challenge results.

Job Fairs Context

The Bright Electronics Manufacturing Challenge connects student engineering teams with the hands-on PCB assembly and soldering skills that electronics manufacturers recruit for. Its finals at SMTA International place these students in front of the industry's manufacturing and assembly professionals.

Students and employers interested in electronics manufacturing careers can look for similar hands-on challenges and the industry events where teams are showcased. Attending industry conferences such as SMTA International can offer direct contact with manufacturing recruiters.

The takeaway

Hands-on manufacturing experience is a strong signal to employers, and competitions like this one give students a visible way to demonstrate it. Students aiming for electronics careers can seek similar team challenges early.