Nearly 200 countries to compete in robotics at the 2023 FIRST Global Challenge in Singapore.
The 2023 FIRST Global Challenge will in a few weeks bring together thousands of teens from across the globe to compete in robotics and collaborate to find renewable energy solutions. Created and administered by FIRST Global and helped made possible by Title Sponsor Lam Research, the exciting four-day event is intended to encourage the next generation of innovators.
The 2023 FIRST Global Challenge will be held in Singapore from October 7-10, 2023. The event focuses on cultivating a passion for science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) through competition and fun. Now in its seventh year, the Challenge continues to grow in size and scale. Under this year’s theme, “Hydrogen Horizons,” competing high school age students will learn about renewable energy and sharpen their problem-solving skills. With nearly 200 countries competing, the event is the most multinational innovation competition in the world, according to FIRST Global.
Students from around the world compete at the 2022 FIRST Global Challenge. Photo courtesy of FIRST Global
“The 2023 FIRST Global Challenge is more than a robotics and STEM challenge, it’s a springboard to inspire curiosity, the innovative spirit and the understanding of what’s possible when we work together,” said Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST Global. “We are thrilled to bring the FIRST Global Challenge to Singapore. This year, the event is of particular importance as it centres on revolutionising renewable energy — one of the world’s most pressing problems.”
Lam, a global supplier of innovative wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry, believes that increasing the pipeline of future talent in technology is not only critical to driving the future of semiconductors but also enabling the world to tackle its biggest challenges.
“As we continue to transform the world through technology, we are committed to taking an active role in inspiring and empowering the next generation to help create a better world,” said Stacey MacNeil, chief communications officer and group vice president of ESG at Lam Research. “The FIRST Global Challenge provides life-changing learning experiences for competing students, equipping them with the knowledge and skillsets needed to succeed in the innovation workforce of the future.”
The company has pledged a $10 million donation* to FIRST Global, providing critical funding to support FIRST Global’s mission to expand access to STEM education and cultivate future global technology leaders. The Lam donation is the company’s most significant gift since unveiling its social impact platform, Powering Breakthroughs Together, in 2022. This year, Lam has also provided over 30 mentors worldwide for competing teams, helping to ensure every youth team has an opportunity to thrive at the event.
This year’s competition will see eight students from the Hulu Terengganu Secondary Science School representing Malaysia. “The FIRST Global Challenge is a fantastic programme to inspire greater interest in STEM education among students,” said Soon K. Kuek, managing director and general manager at Lam Research International Sdn. Bhd. “By competing with schools across the world, Malaysian students will not only have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability and innovativeness in the field of robotics but also gain learnings and exposure from the many projects that students from other schools are doing as well.”
During the FIRST Global Challenge, each team will put their unique robot built for the competition to the test in a series of matches and challenges related to renewable energy. Robots will be navigated through a game environment which represents the process of hydrogen energy development. Each team’s robot will score points by producing hydrogen and then storing, transporting and converting energy. Teams will work together in randomly selected multi-country alliances to score points, thereby encouraging global cooperation and collaborative innovation.
FIRST Global teams will also compete in an innovation competition known as the New Technology Experience (NTE). Under the NTE theme “Energy Evolution”, teams are guided to understand all types of renewable energy, including hydrogen technologies. FIRST Global teams will then research and develop their own innovative solutions to advance the implementation of and improve access to renewable energy.
More information on the 2023 FIRST Global Challenge can be found at first.global.
*Contribution to be distributed over a three-year period, from 2023-2025.
