At the Games, we encourage the exchange of ideas, the cultivation of a sense of solidarity, and personal and professional growth through tackling engaging problems. But you don’t have to take our word for it – the impact of the Games has been recognized year after year by extraordinary individuals in the STEM field. The STEM Games ambassadors are entrepreneurs, academics, and the leaders of their respective industries, and this is what they have to say about participating!

A sense of community is something we cannot stress enough, both in sports as well as esports. Nicky Pranjić, esports director at the Croatian Academic Sports Federation, stresses how one of their main goals has always been to build a tight-knit, healthy student esports community in Croatia. He adds how the STEM games have been a big part and pioneer in that aspect, through the organization of tournaments whose production is on par with professional standards.

Critical thinking, problem solving, innovation and creativity. These four skills are emphasized by Nina Begičević Ređep, dean of the University of Zagreb Faculty of Organization and Informatics, as being key contributors to succeeding in the industries that our competitors, future engineers and scientists, will one day find themselves in. These are also precisely the skills that are cultivated in our knowledge arenas!

This statement is seconded by the dean of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, Marko Šoštarić, who highlights the role of STEM in today’s transport and mobility, which includes artificial intelligence, machine learning and smart infrastructure, and in doing so emphasizes the importance of abilities necessary to establish a greener, more sustainable, and safer transport in the future.

But what is it that really helps us acquire such abilities? Motivation is a key component, and Dario Bojanjac, co-founder of the Institute for the Promotion of Science, explains how real winners are not afraid of their competitors, they always strive to be and do better. This means that a dose of competition is healthy to boost motivation and build character, since without competing and comparing yourself to your peers, it is difficult to reach your full potential.

But the first step is always the most difficult one. That is why it is crucial to surround yourself with individuals who are just as curious, motivated, and enterprising, which is exactly the environment we strive to cultivate at the Games. Vladimir Šimović, strategic partnership manager at Good Game Global and lecturer at the Zagreb University of Applied Sciences, highlights the role of the Games in inspiring and empowering the next generation of innovators, and thus making an impact where it truly matters.

A sense of community, self-improvement, and creativity. These are all components that lie at the heart of the competition, and also those which we hope to see this year as well!

See you at the STEM Games!