The Republic of Moldova has won the gold medal for the fifth consecutive time at the world’s largest robotics competition for high school students – FIRST Global Challenge. The award was won in the Engineering Innovation category, according to IPN.

This year’s competition theme, “Eco Equilibrium,” challenged participants from around the world to innovate together to maximize biodiversity and protect the incredible variety of life forms that sustain the planet.

According to the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ustad Ahmad Lahori Award for Innovation in Engineering recognizes unique and innovative designs. Participating teams had to present an original and practical feature of the robot, well executed and relevant to this year’s challenge, which they had to communicate effectively to the jury.

The Moldovan team also received an Honorable Mention in the FIRST Global Innovator Award category, in honor of Fred Smith. This award recognizes teams that demonstrate innovation and a spirit of research in the application of new technologies.

The competition took place between October 28 and November 1 in Panama City, Panama, bringing together teams from over 190 countries. The Olympiad is intended for students aged between 15 and 18.

The Moldovan team consisted of six students, all from Chisinau: Cristian Andries – Ion Creanga High School, David Bragarenco and Mihai Marandici – Mihail Kogalniceanu Theoretical High School, Ion Pavelescu – Orizont High School, Durlesti branch, Cristian Romanciuc – George Meniuc High School, and Emilia Turcan – Waldorf High School.