LG Electronics Sponsors International Youth Robotics Competition, Supports Next Generation in 'Robotics'

October 7-10: 2026 FIRST Global Challenge
Youth teams from 185 countries worldwide to participate
LG CLOiD on display, future robotics technologies showcased

LG Electronics is sponsoring an international youth robotics competition, sharing with the next generation the value of innovation through robotics.

LG Electronics said on October 8 that it is sponsoring the 2026 FIRST Global Challenge, an international youth robotics competition taking place over four days, from October 7 to 10, at Songdo Convensia in Incheon.

The FIRST Global Challenge is a competition that the U.S. nonprofit FIRST Global has held annually since 2017. This year, youth teams representing 185 countries from around the world are taking part. They will carry out assigned missions using robots they designed and built themselves, and work together across national borders to solve problems.

This year's competition theme is "Igniting Innovation." Participants will explore robotics-based solutions for preventing and recovering from wildfires, which have emerged as a global problem amid climate change. In an environment recreating the process from wildfire outbreak to suppression and recovery, they will complete various missions using robots and solutions they developed themselves.

During the competition, LG Electronics will operate an exhibition booth showcasing its vision for future robotics technologies and its robotics business. The booth includes a space where participants can take photos with the humanoid robot LG CLOiD, giving them the opportunity to experience robotics technologies firsthand.

Youth participants from various countries pose for a commemorative photo with LG CLOiD at the 2026 FIRST Global Challenge, an international youth robotics competition that opened on the 7th. LG Electronics.

LG Electronics also plans to create video and other content capturing the young participants' challenges, collaboration, and growth at the competition, and share it through the company's global channels and digital platforms.

LG Electronics is developing its robotics business, which combines robotics platforms, robot intelligence, and data capabilities, as a future growth driver powered by physical AI. The company is expanding its business from industrial and commercial robots into home robots while also strengthening its capabilities in developing and manufacturing key robotics components, including actuators.

Recently, LG Electronics has been operating LG Data Factory, which collects and manages the large-scale data needed to train and operate robots, while accelerating efforts to secure technologies that enhance robots' autonomy and utility. Its strategy is to use data obtained through Data Factory and other sources in conjunction with NVIDIA's robotics solutions to advance robot foundation models (RFMs), which determine robot performance.

Building on these efforts, the company aims to become a total robotics solutions provider with strengths in both hardware and software.

"We will support future generations so they can contribute to solving global problems through innovation and a spirit of challenge, and widely promote the value of creating a better life and a better future for the planet through differentiated technologies, including robotics," said Kim Hyoeun, head of brand management at LG Electronics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.