This year’s ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ competition – which is organised by Samsung, and challenges secondary school students in the Czech Republic and Slovakia to use technology to address social issues – saw students from Matyáš Lerch Grammar School in Brno and Pardubice Grammar School win first prize for designing a drone to support firefighters. Second and third places went to the creators of an AI-powered app to reduce food waste in school cafeterias and an indoor navigation system for complex buildings.
‘Mabelor’, the winning project, is a compact drone designed to support emergency services. Built for use in contaminated environments, it features a washable outer shell, gas sensors and an AI-based autopilot. According to the team, the drone could help fire departments assess hazardous zones and gather data before deploying first responders, reducing risks and enhancing the efficiency of emergency responses.
“In our research, we found that firefighters often struggle to decontaminate drones after deployment. Our design focuses on enabling easy reuse and autonomous operation, even when there are no trained personnel present,” the students said during their final presentation. Their work included consultations with emergency responders and the creation of a functioning prototype.
Second place went to a team from the Secondary Technical and Economic School in Brno for their ‘Smart Menu’ app, an artificial intelligence tool designed to improve meal planning in canteens. It helps kitchen staff to create more efficient menus and allows diners to provide feedback, which could help to reduce food waste. The team reported that the app will be piloted in their school next year. “Canteen staff often spend hours of their own time planning meals. They were enthusiastic about a tool that could help reduce waste and save time,” the students explained.
A team from the Secondary School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics in Ostrava came third with ‘FindFlow’, a navigation system for large buildings that uses Bluetooth beacon technology. The app is designed to help users find their way through complex spaces such as schools, galleries, hospitals and shopping centres. The team is reportedly in talks with several companies interested in using the system for workplace coordination and emergency planning.
This year’s competition attracted 230 students from across the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who formed 103 teams. Over six months, the students developed their ideas using the Design Thinking methodology, with support from mentors at the organising institutions.
The ten finalist teams presented their projects in person to a jury comprising representatives from Samsung and the educational non-profit organisation Junior Achievement Czech (JA Czech). The organisers noted a marked increase in the quality and depth of the projects presented. “We wanted to see how young people would engage with artificial intelligence, either to define a problem or to solve it, and the variety of approaches was impressive,” said Martin Smrž, director of JA Czech.
While the top three teams received technology prizes, including tablets and smartwatches, all finalists will continue to receive support from Samsung to further develop their projects. They also gained access to new networking opportunities and were invited to a summer alumni camp for former programme participants.
Looking ahead, the most successful teams will compete for ten ambassador roles at a global level, which will give them the chance to attend the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, thanks to a new partnership with the International Olympic Committee. Applications for the fifth edition of Solve for Tomorrow will open in the upcoming school year.
