Tracing the past with LEGO robots in Munich

17.11.2025

The Mechatronics Cluster will once again be taking part in the 2025/26 FIRST LEGO League season! Under the motto "UNEARTHED", children and young people in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will go on an exciting research trip into the past. The STEM education program invites school classes, working groups and independent teams to go on a treasure hunt as archaeologists, uncover historical secrets and use modern technology to gain new perspectives on ancient cultures.

On January 24, 2026, the Mechatronics & Automation Cluster will once again host the Munich regional competition of the FIRST LEGO League. It will be hosted by the I Berufsinformationszentrum (BiZ) of the Munich Employment Agency. With 24 teams, the Munich regional competition is the largest event in this series in Central Europe and therefore guarantees an exciting battle for the top positions for qualification at European or even global level. There are opportunities for companies to participate in the expert jury or through sponsorship.

Countering the shortage of skilled workers with STEM support
The entertaining educational program accompanies and inspires schoolchildren over several years and leaves a lasting, positive impact on their skills in the areas of STEM (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology), teamwork and communication.

The FIRST®-LEGO® League Challenge is a research and robotics competition for 9- to 16-year-old schoolchildren that combines the fun of technology and science with the exciting atmosphere of a sporting event. The competitive situation makes it easier for participants to access scientific subjects and awakens their motivation to learn an engineering or IT profession at an early age. The young researchers work in teams for several weeks on a joint project like real engineers. They plan, program and test a fully automated robot, conduct research on a topic of their choice and create a presentation on their findings. The format therefore fits in perfectly with the objectives of the Mechatronics & Automation Cluster in terms of promoting young talent in Bavaria as a business location.
Each year, the competition is given an individual character with a specific motto. In the current "Unearthed" season, the FIRST LEGO League teams will slip into the role of archaeologists.

Unearthed - Season 2025/26: Understanding the past - shaping the future
In UNEARTHED, the teams take on the role of archaeologists: They explore excavation sites, develop strategies for recovering sensitive artifacts and reconstruct historical contexts using modern technologies. The Robot Game in the Challenge involves solving new tasks excavation by excavation, showing team spirit and demonstrating technical skills.

The publication of the new tasks marks the start of a creative and technical journey of discovery for thousands of schoolchildren in the region. The teams develop research projects, build and program autonomous robots or design their own LEGO models. The FIRST LEGO League combines technology, teamwork and imagination to create a unique educational experience. "Our aim is to awaken enthusiasm for technology, IT and science - and to give young people the opportunity to implement their ideas in a team. We not only promote digital skills, but also independence, communication and collaboration," explains Stefanie Sieber, Co-Managing Director of HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V., the non-profit association behind the educational program. Two formats for young researchers and inventors The FIRST LEGO League offers two age-appropriate formats for school lessons, all-day activities or extracurricular education:

FIRST LEGO League Explore (6-10 years):
Elementary school teams create a motorized LEGO model based on the season's theme and document their ideas on a poster. They learn the first programming principles and develop creative solutions together.
The Mechatronics & Automation Cluster is hosting the regional competition in Munich on 24.01.2026.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge (9-16 years):
Pupils:innen work in a team on their own research project and program a robot that solves tasks on a themed play mat. The results are presented at competition days or internal school events.
The University of Augsburg is organizing the regional competition in Augsburg on DATUM; the Cluster Mechatronics & Automation is pleased to be a partner again!
Be there too!

We wish all participants an exciting and enjoyable competition. If you are interested, you are of course welcome to come and see the competition and the skills of the teams in the audience for yourself. If you would like to support the idea in the form of sponsorship, you can find more information HERE LINK TO ANOTHER ARTICLE or contact the following e-mail address:cma(at)bayern-innovativ.de

Sources: First LEGO League / Stefanie Sieber - Hands on Technology, University of Augsburg - MINT_Bildung AMU Universität Augsburg / MINT-Region A³ and Cluster Mechatronik & Automation