The future in the hands of Generation Z: Future Port Youth attracts thousands of students, recognises projects changing the world
This year marked the 5th edition of Future Port Youth, a global conference for students focused on technology and the future, ran under the motto, “Because the world needs your version of the future”.
More than 800 students, teachers and guests from innovative companies and professional partners (including NPI) from the Czech Republic have arrived at the Nová Spirála Arena in Prague this year. More than 2,000 participants followed the program online in dozens of countries around the world. Young people, innovators, visionaries, scientists and technology leaders from Europe, America and Asia met on stage and in the audience to find answers to the question of how to use new technologies for positive change.
Future Port Youth Awards: acknowledging excellence
The event included the award ceremony of the international Future Port Youth Awards, where students could apply for their innovative projects, with over 220 participants. The winner is a project of students from Greece who want to use decommissioned oil platforms for smart seaweed cultivation in order to reduce CO2 and produce biomass. The Nirbhoya project from Bangladesh, a bilingual platform focused on women’s menstrual, reproductive and mental health in developing regions, was awarded a silver spot. The Neuroflux project – an AI model to support the diagnosis of glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour, was ranked third.
“Every year of the Future Port Youth Awards will once again convince us that young people are not waiting for the future – they are already creating it. We have seen dozens of ideas that prove that when students have space, support and inspiration, they can bring bold ideas and concrete solutions" .
- Martin Holečko, founder and CEO of Future Port.
Topics, programs and networking sessions
The main topics of this year's edition were Future of AI Society, New Space Age and Future of Nurture. Students will learn about the impact of AI on society in the areas of youth mental health, cybersecurity and education, new opportunities in commercial space exploration, the future of food production and cultivation, and self-regeneration. Speakers included world-renowned experts – Tony Hunter, food futurist and visionary, Gary Lai, rocket designer and founder of a start-up for mining materials from the moon, and Aleš Svoboda, a Czech pilot and future astronaut. Other Czech speakers were Michal Pěchouček, Victoria Deer, Ondřej Vlček, Jan Romportl, Vítek Adam and Mike Pell. The whole day was traditionally conducted by young moderator Tilly Lockey, British ambassador for Open Bionics, known as ‘the girl with the bionic arms’ and an inspirational role model for young people.
The program also included an interactive Expo section, which offered workshops focused on AI or ethical hacking. Students could:
- Try VR pilot simulators from Vrgineers and get first-hand experience of working with the humanoid G1 from Unitree
- Build a car for various adventures by ŠkodaAuto or nanorobots from VŠB
- Learn the sound electromagnetic fields make, thanks to a special device from Kunsthalle Praha
- Learn about Czech space ambitions at the stand of the Czech Journey to Space
- Attend student-centered workshops organised by KAMDU, STEM_HUB , get to know the activities of the Prague Innovation Institute or Teachers from Mars and for Secondary Schoolers
- Visit the stand of the National Pedagogical Institute to test their digital knowledge, get a European Europass certificate, get resources for digital skills development with DigiKoalice and the European C4DD project
- Reflect on digital wellbeing with the TechWell project and get to know the robot competed with the Czech-American team H.E.I.S.T.
There was also the Andromeda rocket from CTU Space Research. At the NN Digital Hub stand, students they could play their own game and at Etnetera Group they got a chance to discuss not only coding - but also the impact of technology on the wider world.
Future Port Youth 2025 was held on 13 November in Nová Spirála in Prague under the auspices of President Petr Pavel and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. The main partners of the event were Etnetera Group, NN, Green:Code and Air Bank, the National Pedagogical Institute and the Prague Innovation Institute. The project was implemented with the financial support of the City of Prague.
