The 9th Pancyprian Educational and Athletic Robotics Competition, Robotex Cyprus 2026, will take place this weekend and is expected to be the largest event to date after the COVID period, with hundreds of teams, participants and coaches from all over Cyprus.
In an interview with CNA, Dr. Panicos Masouras, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Computer Society (CCS) and President of the Robotex Cyprus Organising Committee, said that this year there are more than 700 registrations.
He spoke of an "impressive growth" of the educational and sports robotics sector in Cyprus in recent years, noting that from a relatively limited activity a decade ago, robotics has evolved into one of the most dynamic fields of extracurricular and non-formal education in Cyprus.
Masouras told CNA that despite its small size, Cyprus has a particularly noteworthy presence in the field of educational robotics and that Cypriot teams consistently participate in international events and often return with distinctions and awards.
"This is the largest robotics event in Cyprus, where children, youth and adults have the opportunity to design, program and compete with their robots in dozens of different challenges," he stressed.
The event is open and free to the public and the program includes educational and sports robotics events, technology demonstrations, activities and opportunities to get acquainted with modern technologies and professions of the future.
This year's event is expected to be the largest to date after the COVID period, with hundreds of teams, participants and coaches from all over Cyprus. More than 700 registrations have been recorded, which demonstrates the continuous growth of the institution, Masouras told CNA.
In addition, he said that Robotex Cyprus "now uniquely combines educational with sports robotics, emphasising not only programming and engineering, but also strategy, teamwork and problem-solving in real conditions."
Winning teams have the opportunity to represent Cyprus in international Robotex events
The winning teams also have the opportunity to represent Cyprus in international Robotex events and in particular at Robotex International which this year will be held for the first time outside of Estonia, in Seoul, South Korea.
Masouras told CNA that there is an impressive development of the educational and sports robotics sector in Cyprus.
"The sector has shown impressive growth in recent years. From a relatively limited activity a decade ago, robotics has evolved into one of the most dynamic fields of extracurricular and non-formal education in Cyprus," he noted.
Masouras said that today there are dozens of educational centres, groups and organisations operating in robotics and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) while more schools are incorporating relevant actions into their educational activities.
"The most important thing, however, is that students acquire skills that are directly linked to the future of work, such as programming, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, problem solving and adaptability, while children with leadership, negotiation and presentation skills stand out," he stressed.
Masouras told CNA that despite its small size, Cyprus has a particularly noteworthy presence in the field of educational robotics.
Distinctions and awards
"Cypriot teams consistently participate in international events and often return with distinctions and awards."
He said that in 2025 the Cypriot delegation to Robotex International was the largest to have ever participated in the event and won a significant number of awards in different competitions, thus competing with countries with a much larger population and a long tradition in the field of robotics and technology such as China, India, Estonia, and Italy.
Noting that there are countries with greater investments and more populous technology ecosystems, he pointed out that "Cyprus manages to maintain a very high level of participation and quality in relation to its size, a fact that is also recognised internationally".
Masouras said that significant steps have been taken in recent years, adding that the categories of competitions have increased, the participation of students of all ages has expanded and new forms of sports robotics have been developed that make the field more attractive and accessible.
Concluding he said that in the future an even closer cooperation is needed between schools and educational institutions, universities, businesses and the state.
Robotex Cyprus 2026 will take place on 27 and 28 June at the University of Cyprus Sports Centre.
Visit https://robotex.org.cy/en/ for more information.
(Source: CNA)
