Officials pose after signing an MOU for the successful hosting of the Robotex World Championship. From left: Carmel Tellis, deputy ambassador of Estonia to South Korea; Nathan Machila, CEO of Robotex; Yoo Ji-sang, president of the Incheon Tourism Organization; Lee Yong-woo, chairman of the International Robot Education Association; Kim Ji-an, head of the tourism marketing division at the Incheon Tourism Organization; and Hong Jeong-su, head of the MICE bureau team. [Incheon Tourism Organization]
Officials pose after signing an MOU for the successful hosting of the Robotex World Championship. From left: Carmel Tellis, deputy ambassador of Estonia to South Korea; Nathan Machila, CEO of Robotex; Yoo Ji-sang, president of the Incheon Tourism Organization; Lee Yong-woo, chairman of the International Robot Education Association; Kim Ji-an, head of the tourism marketing division at the Incheon Tourism Organization; and Hong Jeong-su, head of the MICE bureau team. [Incheon Tourism Organization]

Incheon has been selected to host the 2026 Robotex World Championship — the world's largest youth robotics festival — positioning the city as a global hub for robot and AI education.

This marks the first time the championship will be held outside Estonia, where Robotex was founded.

The Incheon Tourism Organization announced Friday that it signed a three-way MOU with Robotex International and the Association of Robotics and Coding Hub on Tuesday to ensure the event's successful staging.

Under the agreement, the tourism organization will handle administrative and fiscal support along with domestic and international promotional marketing, while Robotex International and ARCH will oversee planning and operations.

The championship is scheduled to take place at Songdo Convensia in November, with approximately 3,000 young participants, coaches and officials from 30 countries expected to attend.

Participants will compete in robot competitions and take part in AI and STEM-based education programs as well as international exchange events, showcasing their future technology skills and fostering global cooperation.

Officials said the hosting goes beyond a single international event, expressing hope that Incheon's selection as the first overseas venue will cement its standing as a global center for robot education and future industry.

The championship rounds out a strong run of major robotics competitions for Incheon: the city hosted the 2026 RoboCup Incheon in July and will follow that with the 2026 First Global Challenge in October before welcoming the Robotex World Championship in November, further solidifying its reputation as an international robotics hub.


gilbert@heraldcorp.com