Singapore is set to host the seventh edition of an international robotics challenge for youth this October, marking the first time the annual competition will be held in Asia. Around 190 countries will send a team each to Singapore to compete in the “Olympic-style” contest organized by the United States-based non-profit group First Global, which promotes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

The competition aims to nurture cross-cultural cooperation among youth from around the world and give them the tools to solve common problems. Previous editions of the annual competition were held in Dubai, Geneva, Mexico City, and Washington, as well as virtually during the height of the pandemic.

This year’s competition theme is clean energy, aligning with Singapore’s focus on innovation and sustainability. Singapore seeks to generate up to half of its energy needs from low-carbon hydrogen by 2050, and the competition’s focus on clean energy is timely given Singapore’s launch of its national hydrogen strategy in October 2022.

To compete, each nation must send a team of three to five members aged 14 to 18 to design and build a robot from a standard kit of parts. Teams must then work together to navigate their robot in a simulated world to produce hydrogen and use it to store, transport, and convert energy.

The competition, which will be held from October 7 to October 10, is chiefly sponsored by US semiconductor company Lam Research, which has donated US$10 million (S$13.3 million) to First Global. It is also sponsored by the Singapore Government, the US Department of Energy, and others.

Singapore’s Ambassador to the US, Mr Ashok Mirpuri, said the contest’s themes of education, technology, and innovation resonate with Singapore, a small country with no resources. “All those lights… in Singapore have to be fueled by something. We have no energy resources of our own. We have to import our energy,” said Mr. Mirpuri.

The competition is an excellent opportunity for young people to learn about STEM education, cross-cultural cooperation, and the importance of sustainability. Singapore’s hosting of the event is a testament to the country’s commitment to innovation and its leadership in the region’s technology sector. The competition will undoubtedly foster new ideas, innovations, and technologies that benefit not only Singapore but also the world.

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