Kuressaare Ametikool and its team have won the Youth Challenge 2026, following a month-long journey of exploration, ingenuity, and technical challenges focused on floating offshore wind.
More than just a competition, the 2026 edition was designed as a true learning experience, where theory meets practice, ideas take shape, and students step into the role of engineers for the duration of a project.
A Challenge Rooted in Reality
Organized by TalTech, the Estonian University of Technology, in collaboration with the Avara project and its consortium (Oxan Energy, Ocean Connect Energy, Snow), the Youth Challenge brought together students from six schools across the Estonian country.
Their mission: to design a floating platform capable of supporting a wind turbine, while integrating technical constraints similar to those faced in the industry. A demanding exercise at the intersection of innovation, engineering, and creativity.
3 Phases to Turn Ideas into Reality
The journey was structured around three complementary stages:
A simulation phase, during which teams imagined and designed their floating platforms while taking realistic technical parameters into account
A hands-on workshop, where concepts were transformed into tangible, testable structures
Real-world testing, conducted at the TalTech Kuressaare College wave lab, where prototypes were evaluated for both performance and design quality
Each phase pushed participants to refine their thinking, test their assumptions, and learn from iteration.
A High-Stakes Final in Kuressaare
The highlight of the challenge took place on March 31 in Kuressaare, bringing together finalist teams from Kuressaare Ametikool, Pärnu Koidula Gümnaasium, and Nõo Reaalgümnaasium.
In an atmosphere combining focus and excitement, projects were presented, tested, and evaluated. At the end of the day, the Kuressaare Ametikool team stood out, winning this edition thanks to the strength of their design, technical rigor, and ability to meet the challenge’s constraints.
Beyond the final rankings, Youth Challenge 2026 leaves a lasting impact. Each participant walks away with stronger skills, a deeper understanding of floating wind challenges, and above all, hands-on experience at the intersection of theory and practice.
More Than a Competition
In the motion of artificial waves testing their models, there was already a glimpse of the real world : uncertain, demanding, yet endlessly inspiring.
The 2026th edition in images :
Congratulations to all participants for their commitment and creativity, and see you in future editions to keep shaping the energy of tomorrow.
