Across Europe and the world, international schools are making a decisive shift: competitive robotics is moving from an optional after-school curiosity into a core part of STEM education. For schools in the Lisbon-Oeiras-Cascais corridor, this shift presents both an opportunity and a question — how do you offer students a world-class engineering experience without building a programme from scratch?
The global trend: robotics as a STEM backbone
Schools that once relied on science fairs and coding clubs to deliver hands-on STEM are discovering that competitive robotics programmes offer something deeper. Students do not just learn to code — they design mechanical systems, manage projects under deadline pressure, work in teams with defined roles, present their work to judges, and iterate through failure. These are the skills that universities and employers consistently say they want, and that traditional classroom instruction struggles to develop.
In the UK, the US, the Netherlands, Germany, and across Asia, thousands of schools have adopted FIRST programmes as the foundation of their STEM offering. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global non-profit that runs structured robotics competitions for students from primary school through to age 18. The most popular programme for secondary students is FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), which now includes more than 3,500 teams in over 30 countries.
Why FTC works for international schools
FTC is designed to be run within schools. A team needs a coach (often a teacher or parent), 4 to 15 students aged 12 to 18, a meeting space, and a starter kit. The programme provides a new engineering challenge each season — this year, teams are building robots that must score points autonomously and through driver control on a defined playing field. Students handle everything: mechanical design, programming, strategy, outreach, and project management.
For international schools, FTC offers several advantages. The programme operates in English. It connects students to a global community with events across Europe, North America, Asia, and beyond. It gives students a structured, year-long commitment that admissions officers at UK, US, and European universities recognise and value. And it provides a ready-made competitive framework — schools do not need to design their own curriculum or assessment structure.
What is available in Lisbon right now
Until recently, there has been no FTC presence in Portugal. Schools in Lisbon that wanted competitive robotics had to look at local options that are often research-focused or university-level, or send students abroad. That is changing. Portugal now has its first FTC team, and on 18 July 2026, Lisbon will host its first-ever FTC competition: the Lisbon Scrimmage, at TagusPark in Oeiras.
The event will bring together teams from across the EU for a full day of qualification matches, playoffs, awards, and community celebration. For schools in the Lisbon area, it is a chance to see FTC in action, talk to teams and coaches, and understand what it takes to start a programme.
How to bring FTC to your school
Starting an FTC team is more straightforward than most schools expect. The essentials are a committed coach, a small group of motivated students, a workspace for building, and the season registration and kit (typically under €1,000 for the first year). FIRST provides detailed guides, an online community, and mentorship networks. Schools with existing coding or engineering clubs often find they already have the foundation in place.
The Lisbon Scrimmage organising team is actively supporting schools in Portugal that want to explore FTC. Whether your school is ready to register a team or simply wants to learn more, the first step is to get in touch.
Next steps
If you are a school director, STEM coordinator, or teacher at an international school in Lisbon and want to explore bringing FIRST Tech Challenge to your students, contact us for an informal conversation. You can also register your interest to bring a team to Lisbon Scrimmage 2026, or simply come watch the event on 18 July to see what FTC is all about.