The technology and innovation festival "Mehatrons 2024" in Latvia

On September 6 the annual technology and innovation festival "Mehatrons 2024" took place in Jelgava, Latvia. The aim of the festival – to show the attractiveness of STEM education and encourage young people make career in this area showing the big diversity of the possibilities.

Universities and educational institutions presented learning opportunities in STEM programs and engaged school students in various educational activities. Also, integral participants of the festival were metalworking and other engineering companies, artisans, associations, technical creative schools and groups that presented their products and creative works.

School students and students of professional educational institutions could participate in various competitions and practical workshops testing their knowledge and learning new skills.

There was held also the exhibition of inventions and innovations "Minox Zemgale 2024" where 36 inventions created by a total of 116 authors made in Latvia were presented  - from ideas implemented by students to innovative solutions that turned into successful businesses.

Around 4000 students attended the festival.

We are proud of the teacher of Jelgava Secondary school No 5 – Josifs Spirts and his students who took the 1st and the 2 nd prize in the competiton with their inventions: the "Eiffel Tower" and the "Smart House".  Teacher Josifs Spirts is also the winner of the national “Science of Stage” competition and the participant of European Science on stage festival in Turku.

Report: Skaidrīte Bukbārde