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Filip Lajčiak from the Secondary Industrial School in Dubnica nad Váhom achieved extraordinary international success. At the most prestigious world science and technology competition for high school students, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2026 in the USA, he won 1st place in the Embedded Systems category for the project “A Novel Stereo Vision 3D Scanning System for Microscopic Samples”. He thus “copied” the success of his brother Michal from 2024.

Filip left for the USA, crowned with the title of Scientific Talent of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, which the Slovak Academy of Sciences awarded him at the AMAVET 2025 Festival of Science and Technology (FVAT). From there, he advanced to become the national winner of FVAT AMAVET, which has long supported young scientific and technical talent in Slovakia and created opportunities for them to present their projects in an international environment. Filip Lajčiak’s success, therefore, also confirms the importance of AMAVET’s systematic work with young people in the fields of science, technology and innovation.

“Well, I was really surprised, because they evaluate us equally and react positively to every project, so I didn’t know at all whether I won nothing or first place... So I was all the more happy and looking forward to returning to Slovakia,” Filip described his first feelings after the award.

Filip’s project was created under the professional guidance of Assoc. Prof. Ján Vachálek, PhD., from the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, who accompanied him in the professional direction of the project, linking theoretical knowledge with practical development and preparing for the presentation before the international jury. Filip Lajčiak’s project is a stereo vision 3D scanning system designed for scanning microscopic samples. The solution connects microscopy, a camera system, electronics, mechanical positioning and software image processing. Based on a pair of images captured from slightly different angles, the system can calculate the sample’s spatial structure and create a digital 3D model. The project thus offers a more affordable alternative to technically and financially demanding professional systems for 3D imaging of microscopic objects.

This success also follows the exceptional result of Filip’s brother, Michal Lajčiak, who was also the winner of the AMAVET Science and Technology Festival and, in 2024, won 1st place at Regeneron ISEF in the Robotics and Intelligent Machines category with the project “Design of robotic swarm control system”. Both brothers from SPŠ Dubnica nad Váhom thus participated in AMAVET, the most prestigious world science and technology competition for high school students, and both won first place in their categories. Their

projects were created under the guidance of the same mentor, Assoc. Ing. Ján Vachálek, PhD.

This is an extraordinary success for Slovakia, AMAVET, SPŠ Dubnica nad Váhom, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava and Slovak technical education.

As emphasised by the director of AMAVET, Ing. Gabriela Kukolová, “if we manage to get partners to support our work with youth, both professionally and financially, AMAVET can motivate talents, give them an opportunity at national competitions and send them to the most prestigious competitions in the world to show their talent, Slovak potential. In this case, a big thank you goes to the teacher at the Dubnica nad Váhom Secondary School, Ján Tupý, the financial support of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the mentor, associate professor Vachálek, and the financial support of the COLAB company. Such synergy: AMAVET - professional support - financial support - has brought three amazing world victories for the third year in a row: Michal Lajčiak, Adam Kovalčík and Filip Lajčiak.

Filip also received a special award, the Dudley R. Herschbach SIYSS Award. This will fully cover his participation in the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar during Nobel Week in Stockholm. This includes participation in Nobel lectures, press conferences and accompanying events. At the same time, he will have the opportunity to meet young scientists from all over the world and experience the atmosphere of the Nobel Prizes. (The award is named after Dudley R. Herschbach, a professor at Harvard University and winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986.)

Mentor Assoc. Prof. Ing. Ján Vachálek, PhD., from the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava: “For me personally, working with Filip is a great honour and at the same time an exceptional personal experience. I have been working in the fields of cybernetics, robotics, and automation my entire professional life, and I work with very skilled, intelligent, and motivated young people. However, working with talent among the world’s best young innovators is truly unique. The scope and professional level of the projects with which these students win first places at the most prestigious global competitions, such as Regeneron ISEF, are extremely high. In many ways, they approach the level of a doctoral thesis. Such projects often naturally continue into professional publications, patent solutions and further research with real innovation potential.”

Prepared by: Ján Nemec, AMAVET

Photo: competition archive