Historic Performance at the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship: Romania, Global Leader in Educational Robotics

Romania is consolidating its status as a superpower in educational robotics, after a spectacular edition of the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship, held in Houston, where Romanian teams occupied the first four places in the overall standings. The spotlight was on the AICitizens team from Focşani, which had an exceptional career: it won the Edison Division, was captain of the winning alliance and obtained the Inspire Award - second place, one of the most prestigious distinctions of the competition. The robotics team of the "B.P. Hasdeu" National College from Buzău, "Heart of RoBots", achieved the feat of becoming world vice-champion in the FIRST Tech Challenge competition in Houston-USA, winning the Goodall division, obtaining 1st place in the da Vinci division and the Inspire award, a first for Romania.

• Perfect course and world records

The team from Vrancea impressed not only with its results, but also with its consistency: 10 wins out of 10 in the qualifiers; an undefeated playoff run; three world records set alongside alliance partners. These performances confirm the continuity of a program of excellence, after AICitizens became world champion in 2024 as well. The coordinating professor, Gabriela Obodariu, described the atmosphere of the competition as "electrifying”, underlining the international recognition that Romania enjoys in the field.

• Romania, the "star” of the competition

According to her, the eight participating Romanian teams attracted the attention of the public and competitors: the stands were constantly visited by fans; the teams were requested for photos and t-shirts; the name Romania became synonymous with performance in robotics. "Saying in Houston that you are from Romania brings you everyone's admiration”, declared the professor.

• New generations of performers: success in junior categories too

The results did not stop at the main competition level. The LEGO LAND Nereju team, mentored by AICitizens, won the "Challenge Solution Award" in the FIRST LEGO League Explore category. Coordinator Mirela Măciucă highlighted the complexity of the project: using a programmable robot to identify artifacts; integrating the archaeological theme; developing practical solutions to streamline the work of researchers. The performance is all the more remarkable given that the team members are only 8-9 years old.

Another team from Focşani, from the "Unirea" National College, obtained: 9 wins out of 10 in the qualifications; 2nd place in the Design section; Finalist Captain nomination.

This year's edition was a historic one for Romania, which occupied the entire world podium: Velocity - 1st place, Heart of RoBots - 2nd place, Quantum Robotics - 3rd place, AICitizens - 4th place.

• Authorities' reaction: "Romania is proud of you"

The performances were welcomed by President Nicuşor Dan, who sent a congratulatory message to the students: "Congratulations to the Romanian students from the national robotics team who participated in the «FIRST Tech Challenge» World Championship in Houston, USA, and won the first four places of this prestigious international competition. I met some of them in April, when they were in the training camp at the West University of Timişoara, and I was impressed by their energy and creativity. (...) Romania is proud of you". The results from Houston confirm a clear trend: Romania is no longer just a competitive participant, but a global leader in educational robotics. The performances of the Romanian teams demonstrate the efficiency of a model based on passion, mentorship and applied education, capable of generating excellence at an international level. In a field that defines the technological future, Romanian students are not only keeping up with the world - they are leading it.