The National Finals of the VEX IQ Robotics Competition take place in MTU Cork this week, where Midlands teams will have the opportunity to compete on a bigger stage. The VEX Robotics Competitions enable students to take part in battles of engineering wits, coding prowess and teamwork collaboration. The winning teams at the All-Ireland will get a chance to represent Ireland at the 2025 VEX Robotics World Championship in the USA later this year, where they will vie for top honours against teams from around the globe. The Midlands already has a strong record of success, with a primary school team from Tubber National School travelling to Texas in 2023 to represent Ireland at the world finals. Around the world this month 20,000 teams from 50 countries are playing in over 1,700 competitions worldwide.

What is VEX Robotics?

The VEX Robotics programme aims to get students interested in robotics and STEM-related activities like science, engineering, coding, math, technology and computer science as well as teamwork, collaboration and training. VEX encourages creativity, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving among groups. It allows educators of all types to engage and inspire the STEM problem solvers of tomorrow. Schools create teams to build, test and code their robot. Through a hands-on approach, students not only deepen their understanding of STEM principles but also cultivate essential 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.

VEX Robotics is also continuing to draw support from regional enterprise partners, with the regions ICT and Advanced Manufacturing Clusters, as well as key regional employers including Ericsson, Grant Engineering, Mergon, Dekotek and Robotics & Drives. By equipping students with STEM skills from a young age, the region is nurturing and developing the engineering and tech talent of the future while showcasing career opportunities here in the region.

VEX IQ Robotics Competition Rapid Relay

Midlands Schools in competition

Spots for the VEX IQ Robotics Competition World Championships will be offered at these events. Competitions will take place at primary level (ES), secondary level (MS) and High Stakes (MS and ES). Here are all the Midlands participants from Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford. Follow the action here

VIQRC | Rapid Relay | Ireland National Championship 2025 (MS)

VIQRC | Rapid Relay | Ireland National Championship 2025 (ES)

V5RC | High Stakes | Irish National | (MS/HS)

The Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan “Pathway for Transition” is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme 2021-2027. This Project is an initiative of the Local Authorities of the Midlands region, comprising Laois (lead partner), Longford, Offaly and Westmeath.