{"id":15186,"date":"2026-04-30T13:27:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T10:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jacyprus.org\/?p=15186"},"modified":"2026-04-30T20:39:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T17:39:27","slug":"great-european-distinction-for-cyprus-first-place-for-the-cypriot-team-in-the-european-sci-tech-challenge-2026-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacyprus.org\/en\/great-european-distinction-for-cyprus-first-place-for-the-cypriot-team-in-the-european-sci-tech-challenge-2026-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Great European distinction for Cyprus: First place for the Cypriot team in the European Sci-Tech Challenge 2026 competition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It is with great pride that JA Cyprus and ExxonMobil in Cyprus announce the great success of the Cypriot delegation at the European <em>Sci-Tech Challenge 2026<\/em>, where the team THE SPAGHETS from Xenion High School won the 1st place as the best STEM team in Europe for 2026.<\/p>\n<p>The final competition took place on 23-24 April in Brussels, at the European Economic and Social Council (EESC), with the participation of the national winners from Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary and the Netherlands. The students were asked to develop and present innovative solutions for the more efficient treatment of plastic waste, combining mechanical and chemical recycling, thus contributing to the reduction of their environmental footprint.<\/p>\n<p>The Sci-Tech Challenge, designed by JA Europe and ExxonMobil Europe, gives students aged 15 to 18 the opportunity to explore career prospects in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) while applying their knowledge to real-world industrial and environmental challenges.<\/p>\n<p>The Cypriot team THE SPAGHETS, representing Xenion High School, impressed the jury with their innovative solution titled <em>ClearFlow<\/em>. Their proposal is based on a scientifically based approach and combines advanced sorting and recycling technologies, achieving optimization of cost, efficiency, and environmental impact.<\/p>\n<p>Warm congratulations to the students Samantha Zara Cummings, Constantina Hope Loizou, Christos Phylactou, Ofer Shefi, Elena Zouvani and their teacher Flourentzo Parpouna for their excellent performance and for making Cyprus the top of Europe.<\/p>\n<p>This distinction is a significant affirmation of the creativity, innovation, and determination of Cyprus&#8217; young generation to actively contribute to addressing global challenges, such as sustainable plastic waste management.<\/p>\n<p>JA Cyprus and ExxonMobil Cyprus, through their partnership, continue to support the development of STEM and entrepreneurship skills among the youth of Cyprus in modern ways and experiential learning.<\/p>\n<p>This success is not only a victory, but also a powerful signal of what can be achieved when knowledge, innovation and collaboration meet the vision of a more sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-15186 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-portfolio'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/jacyprus.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/681039202_18358403587227926_3285888278735411940_n.jpg'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"495\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/jacyprus.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/681039202_18358403587227926_3285888278735411940_n-495x400.jpg\" 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