Gia Lai (VNA) - The national finals of the ROBOTACON WRO 2026 robot talent competition concluded in the central province of Gia Lai on August 23 with an awards ceremony honouring the top-performing teams after three days of exciting competition.
Held from August 21-23, the ROBOTACON WRO 2026 national finals brought together nearly 500 outstanding contestants from 12 provinces and cities, along with guest teams from the Republic of Korea and China.
The finalists had qualified through regional finals in northern, central and southern Vietnam, the Hai Phong satellite round and the Gia Lai provincial round.
Speaking at the closing and awards ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Gia Lai provincial People’s Committee Lam Hai Giang said the contestants demonstrated a strong spirit of learning, creativity, confidence in handling challenges, perseverance and teamwork throughout the competition.
Each robot completing its task and each solution refined after an unsuccessful attempt reflected the contestants’ ability to apply knowledge to real-world situations, turn ideas into solutions and gradually develop their capacity to master technology, he said.
Under the theme “Robots Meet Culture”, this year’s competition went beyond programming, robotics and technology, promoting connections between modern science and culture and everyday life. It presented technology as a tool to help people gain a deeper understanding of cultural values, preserve cultural identity and explore new approaches for the future.
Lasse Pedersen Hjortshøj, Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam, said he was impressed and inspired by the passion, dedication, creativity and teamwork demonstrated by the contestants.
According to him, ROBOTACON WRO provided students with a valuable learning and experiential environment where they could develop STEM skills, learn to work together, think creatively and solve complex problems. He also noted that the “Robots Meet Culture” theme ran throughout the competition, encouraging students to explore new ideas and consider practical applications of robotics.
The value of the competition lies not only in identifying or training future renowned scientists, mathematicians or engineers, but, more importantly, in inspiring young people to express their creativity, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills through designing and programming robots, Hjortshøj said.
He stressed that investment in education is one of the most sustainable and valuable investments, and investing in education means investing in the future of every country.
At the closing ceremony, the organising committee presented championship trophies to the top teams in the B4-02, B3, B2 and B1 categories, as well as first prizes across all competition categories.
It also announced 23 top performers from the ROBOTACON WRO 2026 national finals will represent Vietnam at international WRO competitions in Nanjing, China and Hyderabad, India, as well as the WRO World Championship in Puerto Rico, the US.
Gold certificates and gold, silver and bronze medals were also presented to outstanding teams in each category.
The organisers also expressed their appreciation to participating schools, teachers, coaches, referees and partner organisations for contributing to the development of STEM and robotics education.
The event was held with the support of the Embassy of Denmark and in coordination with and assistance from agencies and organisations in Gia Lai and Quy Nhon University./.
