On 17 March 2026, the 5th annual Secondary School Technical Olympiad (STO) took place at the Department of Technology and Information Technologies of the Faculty of Education, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. The event is aimed at supporting talented secondary school students with a technical focus and provides a platform for presenting their knowledge, skills, creativity, and innovative solutions. The contestants presented their works and projects, which had been developed as annual coursework projects, outputs of secondary school research activities, or on their own initiative in line with the theme of the Olympiad.

 

This year, once again, the Secondary School Technical Olympiad was held in conjunction with an international scientific conference, featuring presentations by teachers, young researchers, and experts from several secondary schools and universities. More than 70 teachers and students took part in the joint event, once again confirming its professional as well as social significance.

 

The keynote lecture of the conference was delivered by Stefanos Armakolas, MEd, PhD from the University of Patras, Greece. In his presentation entitled Distance Education in Greece: Pedagogical Approaches and Future Perspectives, he introduced current perspectives on distance education in Greece, its pedagogical foundations, and prospects for its further development.

The conference also featured presentations by master’s students from the University of Patras and doctoral students from the Department of Technology and Information Technologies at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra on the following topics:

 

A total of 46 students from across Slovakia registered for the Olympiad and presented 34 professional projects in two competition sections: Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Due to the high number of high-quality competition entries, two expert evaluation committees were established.

The committee for the Electrical Engineering section consisted of Mgr. Miroslav Šebo, PhD., Stefanos Armakolas, MEd, PhD., Mgr. Adam Lednár, and Martin Valo. The Mechanical Engineering section was evaluated by a committee comprising Assoc. Prof. PaedDr. Danka Lukáčová, PhD., Mgr. Pavel Moc, Ph.D., Mgr. Hilda Hyneková, and Bc. Tomáš Hegedűs.

   

The presented works achieved a high professional standard, testifying both to the quality of the students’ preparation and to the responsible work of their teachers. Through their presentations, the contestants demonstrated their ability to apply acquired knowledge creatively, connect theory with practice, and offer stimulating technical solutions. Many of the presented projects attracted attention not only for their technical sophistication, but also for their originality, social relevance, and potential for further development. In the end, the evaluation committees selected the best works in each section, which were awarded valuable material prizes. These awards represented not only recognition of the students’ outstanding achievements, but also support for their further professional growth and motivation to continue in creative and innovative activities.

Electrical Engineering Section:
1st place: Peter Salbot, Jaroslav Šubjak – Automated Warehouse
Secondary School of Electrical Engineering, Hálova 16, Bratislava
2nd place: Roland Csáky, Tomáš Ukropec – BDD_RESCAN
Secondary Vocational School of Information Technologies, Bratislava
3rd place: Maxim Raffesberg – Metalytics – Intelligent Web Application for Scrap Metal Management
Secondary Technical School, Piešťany
Special Jury Award: Timotej Mikuš, Lukáš Dvorský, Adam Kosec – Bigtendo – Portable Game Console
Secondary School of Mechanical Engineering, Bánovce nad Bebravou

 

Mechanical Engineering Section:
1st place: Adam Süttő – CAD Model of a Modular Agricultural System
Secondary Industrial Technical School, Trnava
2nd place: Michal Mečiar – FFF 3D Printer
Secondary School of Electrical Engineering, Hálova, Bratislava
3rd place: Max Faragula – Design Modification of a Pionier Motorcycle Aimed at Increasing Performance
Secondary Technical School, Bratislava

 

The fifth edition of the Secondary School Technical Olympiad once again confirmed that it is an important and prestigious professional event that motivates young people toward technical thinking, creativity, and innovation. The connection between the Olympiad and the international scientific conference further strengthened its academic dimension and international reach. At the same time, the event confirmed the important role of the university environment in supporting talented pupils and students who, already during their secondary school studies, demonstrate a high level of expertise, creativity, and the ability to solve technical problems independently. The meeting of participants from different types of schools and academic institutions contributed to inspiring professional discussion and to the development of mutual cooperation. The Secondary School Technical Olympiad thus represents not only a space for presenting high-quality student work, but also a platform for supporting technical education and for developing future professional and scientific potential.

Professional Guarantor of the Secondary School Technical Olympiad: Mgr. Miroslav Šebo, PhD.
Organizing Committee: Mgr. Miroslav Šebo, PhD., Assoc. Prof. PaedDr. Jana Depešová, PhD.

Text: Mgr. Miroslav Šebo, PhD., Faculty of Education – Department of Technology and Information Technologies
Photos: Mgr. Kristína Komárová, Bc. Marika Gardoňová, and Mgr. Miroslav Šebo, PhD., Faculty of Education – Department of Technology and Information Technologies

 

Published: March 23, 2026