On Saturday, 17 January 2026, OTH Regensburg was all about robotics, research and team spirit: more than 100 children and young people came together to demonstrate their STEM skills at the annual First Lego League regional competition for Eastern Bavaria. Schoolchildren from Regensburg, Burglengenfeld, Nittenau, Riedenburg, Niederviehbach, Neuburg an der Donau and Gars am Inn transformed the campus into a lively educational festival.
The current season's archaeological theme is ‘UNEARTHED – Let's dig deeper.’ Tools, works of art and technical achievements of bygone times formed the thematic framework. With a great deal of creativity and technical know-how, the teams developed solutions to understand and master the challenges faced by archaeologists.
Unique programme for children and young people aged six to 16
Participants in two age categories were evaluated by a volunteer jury. In the Explore category, four teams aged six to ten presented their research projects. In a small exhibition, the ArchäoBrickGang, DieArchis, Die Knochenjäger and Die lustigen Steine explained their ideas to the numerous visitors in an engaging and entertaining way.
Twelve teams competed in the Challenge age group (9 to 16 years). They were evaluated in four categories: presentation of the research project, robot design, robot game, and core values such as teamwork, creativity, problem-solving skills, and perseverance. For months, the students had prepared, researched, constructed, and programmed together with their coaches.
Their efforts paid off: to loud applause at the award ceremony, the teams GarsControl Senior (Gymnasium Gars am Inn) and RTG-NextGeneration (Regental-Gymnasium Nittenau) qualified for the next competition. They will compete in the qualifying competition in Heidelberg on 28 February. The final for Germany, Austria and Switzerland will take place on 18 and 19 April in Leipzig.
‘We believe it is important for the university to be involved in extracurricular education and are proud that OTH Regensburg has been organising the competitions as a regional partner for 15 years now,’ emphasised Prof. Dr. Christoph Skornia, Vice President of OTH Regensburg for IT Security, Digitalisation, Sustainability and Social Responsibility, and STEM Promotion.
Support from Infineon, AUMOVIO and Innok Robotics
The competition was supported by sponsors Infineon Technologies AG, AUMOVIO and Innok Robotics. ‘When young people tinker, program and develop solutions together with such passion, it is the best investment in the future of STEM and our society,’ says Stefanie Schütz, Training Manager at Infineon Technologies AG, emphasising the importance of the commitment.
‘The First Lego League impressively demonstrates how enthusiasm for technology and innovation can be awakened at an early age. It is precisely this curiosity and creativity that we need for the mobility and technology solutions of tomorrow,’ explains Alexandra Bornemann from AUMOVIO.
‘Numerous volunteers from the regional and national First Lego League community contribute to the success of the event, for example by setting up the playing fields or serving as jury members or referees. Without these volunteers, it would not be possible,’ says Andrea Stelzl, competition director and responsible for the Young University at OTH Regensburg.
Background: The First Lego League
The First Lego League was launched in 1998 as a joint initiative of the American foundation First (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and LEGO. Today, it is considered one of the most successful educational programmes worldwide for promoting mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (MINT) as well as teamwork and communication skills. In German-speaking countries, the programme is coordinated by the Hands-On-Technology e. V. association.
The scale of the competition demonstrates its great importance: in the current season, competitions are being held at 54 locations in German-speaking countries with 740 Challenge teams and 300 Explore teams. In the previous 2024/25 season, around 100,000 teams from 110 countries worldwide took part in the FIRST LEGO League.
