The University of La Laguna, through Ciencia ULL and with the collaboration of the Paraninfo and the Faculty of Education, participates in the FIRST LEGO League Canarias 2025, The largest robotics and innovation tournament in the Canary Islands, organized by the Tenerife Island Council through the Tenerife Science and Technology Park, Ingeniera Soy, and the Tenerife Sports Club Foundation, will bring together 700 young people aged 5 to 16 on Saturday, February 22nd, at the Paraninfo of the University of La Laguna. The participants will be divided into 73 teams across the Discover (5-6 years), Explore (6-9 years), and Challenge (10-16 years) categories.
The 700 participants will have to demonstrate their talent in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) through robotics and solving global challenges. This year's challenge is 'Submerged,' which invites participants to explore the underwater world and develop innovative solutions to problems related to the aquatic environment. The three winners will compete in the FLL Spain grand final, to be held in Galicia in March.
FIRST LEGO League is an international science and technology tournament that challenges young people from around the world to solve real-world problems using robotics and teamwork. It is implemented in 110 countries and involves more than 379,000 young people worldwide. This year, the tournament in the Canary Islands will feature 73 teams from 31 schools and associations – three of which are from Gran Canaria – distributed across three categories: 5 in Discover, 36 in Explore, and 32 in Challenge.
The presentation of the event, held today, Tuesday, February 18th, at the Tenerife Island Council, was attended by the Rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco García; the President of the Island Council, Rosa Dávila; the Councilor for Innovation, Research and Development, Juan José Martínez; the Project Director of the CD Tenerife Foundation, Artamy Rodríguez; and the Managing Director of the Tenerife Science and Technology Park, Olga Martín. In addition, about twenty students from the Rodríguez Alberto School and the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción Primary School gave a demonstration of the robot game.
Francisco García recalled that 2019 was the first time the University's facilities hosted the FLL and that it was a pleasure to celebrate it again. "It's a celebration of knowledge, creativity, and the future. Furthermore, it fosters social skills, interaction among participants, and the collaborative search for solutions to the challenges presented," he emphasized.
Rosa Dávila stated that FLL Canarias 2025 reaffirms the commitment to STEAM education and the development of essential skills for the future, "providing participants with a unique platform to develop their potential in a collaborative and high-impact environment. Participants have been preparing their projects for a long time to showcase them at this event." This initiative also serves to promote values such as cooperation and collaboration in problem-solving. "It is today's youth who will have to face the challenges of the future, and I am convinced it will be a success.".
For his part, Juan José Martínez highlighted the return to the University of La Laguna as one of the main new features of this edition. “They have always been there collaborating, but for the second time, they will be hosting the competition in their facilities – in this case, in the Paraninfo – and that is always good news.”.
Martínez explained that alongside the tournament itself, Ciencia ULL is organizing the Fun and Experiment Fair, which will feature 11 stands with workshops, exhibitions, and dynamic activities. Visitors will be able to experiment with science and other STEAM disciplines, and a Fun Zone, promoted by the STEAM area of the CD Tenerife Foundation, will have 5 stands focused on popular and technological culture, bringing together people of all ages and interests. “We invite everyone to attend because there will be activities for the whole family, and they can enjoy experiences that include video games, virtual reality, and robotics.”.
Finally, Artamy Rodríguez Plata indicated that the work of the CD Tenerife Foundation goes beyond sports, "promoting projects that inspire future generations and a good example is the FLL Canarias 2025, where football and education go hand in hand to create a better island.".
Have Fun and Experience Fair
The Fun and Experiment Fair, organized by CienciaULL, is an interactive space within the FIRST LEGO League Canarias 2025 designed for attendees of all ages to enjoy science and technology in a hands-on and fun way. Through 11 booths featuring workshops, exhibits, and dynamic activities, visitors can experiment with science and other STEAM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The fair will feature young researchers from the University of La Laguna and STEM teachers who will guide attendees through interactive experiences, fostering enthusiasm for technology and scientific knowledge.
Meanwhile, the Fun Zone, promoted by the STEAM area of the CD Tenerife Foundation, will feature five stands focused on popular and technological culture, bringing together people of all ages and interests. Attendees will be able to enjoy experiences including video games, virtual reality, and robotics.
This fun and educational environment offers the opportunity to discover the world of innovation firsthand, fostering creativity and learning in an inclusive and participatory setting. The fair will feature experts and communicators who will guide attendees through interactive experiences, promoting enthusiasm for technology and scientific knowledge.
The event sponsors are Volcano Teide, the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics, Omnia Infosys, Online Canarias, Frimancha, HiperDino, Tirma, and Isola. All activities carried out by the Tenerife Science and Technology Park are co-financed by the Canary Islands Development Fund (FDCAN).
FLL Canarias 2025 Categories
FIRST® LEGO® League Explore is an educational robotics program for children aged 6 to 9, where teams work on an interdisciplinary project focusing on engineering fundamentals. The curriculum includes age-appropriate, guided STEAM activities. While exploring real-world problems, participants learn to design, code, and create innovative solutions using tools provided by LEGO® Education, such as WeDo 2.0 and/or Spike Essential.
FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge is an educational program based on LEGO® robotics for young people aged 10 to 16 where teams work on research, coding (programming), engineering, and problem-solving, by building and programming a robot with LEGO® Education materials. The goal of this program is to offer participants a motivating work environment that fosters their interest in discovering and experiencing other forms of learning. Their team challenges will be varied: designing and building a robot capable of solving different missions on a mat; developing an Innovation Project that identifies and solves a real-world problem within the theme of the annual challenge; and, very importantly, applying and defending the CORE VALUES.
The event will be supported by a team of 200 volunteers, who will play a fundamental role in the organization and development of the competition, ensuring that the experience for participants is enriching and dynamic.
The organizers anticipate an attendance of approximately 2,000 people, including family members, teachers, technology experts, and institutional representatives, who will come to witness firsthand the talent and creativity of young people from the Canary Islands at an event that promotes learning, innovation, and teamwork.
(Note and photo provided)
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