A team of young Maldivian innovators has left for South Korea to represent the country at the FIRST Global Challenge 2026, an international robotics competition scheduled to be held in Incheon from October 7 to 10.
The prestigious event will bring together young participants from 192 countries, providing them with an opportunity to demonstrate their technical abilities while working alongside peers from around the world.
The Maldivian national team consists of 10 students. Five members have travelled to South Korea to participate directly in the competition, while the other five will remain in the Maldives and support the team remotely.
This year’s challenge, themed “Igniting Innovation,” focuses on developing robotic technologies that can help reduce the devastating effects of forest fires. The competition is aimed at encouraging young people to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), while strengthening problem-solving skills, innovation and international collaboration.
Speaking to PSM News before their departure, the students said they were proud to have the opportunity to represent the Maldives at such a major international event.
“192 countries from around the world are participating. This proves that even a small country like the Maldives possesses skills in this field. We are very happy to have received this opportunity and hope to achieve a good position in the competition,” they said.
The Maldives’ participation in the competition has been supported by several local organisations. Women in Tech Maldives, the official country partner for FIRST Global, has played a key role in enabling Maldivian teams to take part in the competition since 2023.
The country recorded a notable achievement at last year’s competition in Panama, securing a place among the top 50 teams globally.
The students have also undergone technical preparation with support from For Loop Coding Academy, a certified STEM centre, helping them strengthen their robotics and engineering skills ahead of the international challenge.
