Thousands of visitors gathered at the University of Cyprus Sports Centre for Robotex Cyprus 2026, the largest robotics festival in the country, which took place with great success on 27 and 28 June 2026, according to a press release by the organisers, the Cyprus Computer Society.
The 9th Pancyprian Educational and Athletics Robotics Competition brought together 700 participants, including school students, university students and adults from across Cyprus, who competed in more than 20 robotics challenges, demonstrating their knowledge, creativity and technical skills.
Focus on the youth
According to a press release issued on Friday, a welcome address was delivered by the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Nicodemos Damianou, read on his behalf by Marios Tziapouras, Director of Cybersecurity at the Deputy Ministry. The event was also attended by Andreas Efstathiou, Vice Chairman of the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), which supports Robotex Cyprus as its Diamond Sponsor, "recognising its contribution to developing research and innovation skills among young people".
Welcome remarks were also delivered by representatives of the co-organisers, Professor Chryssis Georgiou, Chair of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Cyprus, and Fotini Georgiou, Member of the Board of IET Cyprus and member of the Robotex Cyprus Scientific Committee.
Robotex International CEO Nathan Metsala was also present in Cyprus. "His participation was of particular importance, as Cyprus was the first country to establish Robotex as a national competition. He also provided updates on Robotex International 2026, which will take place for the first time outside Estonia, in South Korea," the press release said.
Encouraging females
Winning teams secured the right to represent Cyprus at the international competition, "continuing the impressive track record of Cypriot teams achieving significant international distinctions in recent years".
As part of the competition, primary school teams presented robotics projects under the theme “Sustainable Development – Green Island”, using artificial intelligence applications to propose innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
On Saturday, robots competed in Line Following, Folkrace, Maze Solving, Bowling and Archery challenges. In parallel, two Drone competitions took place: one focused on autonomous flight and a new programming-based drone challenge. On Sunday, robots competed in SUMO, raced on the 15-metre Rally track and took part in the Shot Put challenge. The programme also included the established Girls Firefighting category, aimed exclusively at girls to encourage greater female participation in STEAM fields.
On Saturday, visitors had the opportunity to experience Drone Soccer for the first time on a specially designed pitch operated by STEAM Cyprus. On Sunday, attention turned to the popular “Human vs Robot” chess challenge. In collaboration with the KAISSA Chess Club, the intelligent SenseRobot competed against both young and experienced chess players. A special highlight of this year’s edition was the participation of the Planetarium team, which delivered interactive activities on space, the exploration of the universe and applications of Artificial Intelligence, the press release says.
Milestones
Throughout the two-day event, Robo.com.cy operated the Pit Stop technical support station for competing teams, while showcasing Kypruino and RoboRover Core, two innovative Cypriot-made products. Visitors of all ages enjoyed Virtual Reality experiences, 3D printing demonstrations and a wide range of STEAM activities offered by the Reserach and Innovation Foundation the organizations ECECT, Novatex and the European project INVESTech. JOEY by Bank of Cyprus also offered gifts and surprises to visitors. The event was also visited by Laika, the robotic dog from Neapolis University, while Elena Clark Dance School added a creative artistic dimension.
Robotex Cyprus was organised by the Cyprus Computer Society, in collaboration with the University of Cyprus, the Youth Board of Cyprus and IET Cyprus.
The event was held under the auspices of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy and was approved by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth and ETEK (Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber).
High school students are eligible for scholarships thanks to the long-standing support of Cyprus’ private higher education institutions, including Neapolis University Pafos, European University Cyprus, University of Nicosia, Frederick University, UCLan Cyprus, University of Limassol and AUB Mediterraneo.
The next milestone for the winners is the Robotex Cyprus Awards Ceremony, which will take place in October.
Competition Results are available at www.robotex.org.cy.
CNA was among the media sponsors of the event.
Source: CNA
