A tech world championship you didn’t know existed

Three teenagers built a robot, flew to the World Championship – and no one even blinked.

Ahead of this year’s world championship in Robotics – the FIRST Global Challenge 2025 – the Swedish team got support from Nexans Sweden. At the end of October, the team travelled to Panama City to compete against 180 (!) other nations. Nexans contributed financially and provided materials for the team’s booth, which put Sweden firmly on the map in the expo area.

The Swedish team consists of Pontus, Nils and Parth, three dedicated 15-year-olds with a passion for STEM (see fact box), tech and innovation. For Nils and Parth, teaching robot building and programming (Arduino) in Kosmosklubben is just a normal Tuesday, while Pontus has previous experience from the FIRST Robotics Challenge. Together, they made their debut in FIRST Global – the world’s biggest robotics competition – and describe it as a huge learning experience, both technically and socially.

For many in Sweden, Robotics is still something you barely know exists, or have only seen in American movies. But for this trio, it became a year filled with late nights, code, sweat, spare parts and teamwork. Until one day they suddenly found themselves standing there. At the airport in Panama. For real.

149th place. So… how does that actually feel?

Ending up 149th out of 181 teams might not sound brag-worthy. But once you know how much work was behind it, that it was Sweden’s first time competing, and that the team was just the three of them while other nations arrived with ten-person squads and massive sponsors – it actually feels pretty awesome. And honestly, some matches went really well. The competition isn’t just about points; it’s about international collaboration, innovation and tech that solves real-world problems.

Sweden is basically tiny in the robotics world. How did that show when you faced robot nations like the US and China? David vs. Goliath?

First of all: every team was super open and generous about sharing strategy and explaining how they built their robots, which taught us a ton. But when you’re standing next to countries like China, the US or Kazakhstan – places where Robotics is part of the school curriculum and a natural gateway into tech – the difference becomes clear. Some teams came from countries you barely hear about, yet they showed up with world-class robots. The difference? They take this seriously. Back home, you’re lucky if you get a worksheet in tech class.

So what have you learned that you can’t just read in a textbook?

We’ve grown – not just as programmers and problem-solvers, but as people. We learned to build relationships, secure sponsors, plan logistics, handle stress, work as a team and market ourselves on social media. That’s real-life skills. And you can’t fit that into a one-hour weekly tech lesson – it takes passionate people outside school.

Speaking of time, did you do anything besides competing?

The competition took up most of the week, but there was still time to experience Panama. The Panama Canal, jungle, monkeys, crocodiles (from a safe distance), beach life and meetups with teams from around the world. A catamaran trip to a paradise island with golf carts on the beach ended up being a highlight. And even though the boat ride there was… bumpy, it was totally worth it.

What was the best part? Honestly?

Seeing the robot compete and fixing problems during the matches. That rush when something’s broken and you manage to solve it – unbeatable. But also doing it all together. Standing there, after all those late nights back in Sweden, and watching the robot actually perform – that was pure magic. The trip, the whole week in Panama, was insanely fun and a perfect ending to the long journey. But it also feels like the beginning of something new. Who knows, maybe we’ll be back next year. And next time, we won’t be rookies.

You’re 15 and you’ve already represented Sweden. What do you want to say to other young people who’ve never heard of Robotics? Or to a teacher who needs a gentle push?

If you enjoy tinkering, building, thinking, programming and solving problems – this is for you. Robotics isn’t just about tech. It’s about creativity, collaboration, patience and actually changing the world. So start where you are. Look up FIRST Global, set something up at your school, bug a teacher, find others who think it’s fun. And most importantly: don’t give up.

Anything else?

We want to thank our mentors Anita, Samir and Lin who helped us incredibly much throughout this journey.

Amazing job, guys – such a fun story to hear!

Nexans Sweden is a proud sponsor of Team Sweden in the FIRST Global Challenge 2025 because we believe in the power of young ideas, curiosity and technology that genuinely makes a difference. And that’s often how it starts: with three teenagers, an idea and a dream that eventually flies all the way to Panama. That’s Electrify the Future for real.