LEARNTEC 2025 - Education that shapes the future - and technika-AGs were right in the middle of it!
For three days, Messe Karlsruhe was once again the center of the digital education world: LEARNTEC 2025 – Europe’s leading event for digital learning – showed with impressive figures and groundbreaking topics how diverse, innovative and relevant the discussion around educational technologies is today. 13,000 trade visitors from 40 countries, 350 exhibitors, over 70 presentations and panels – this year’s edition was a complete success and made it clear that digitalization in education and the world of work is no longer a vision of the future, but a living reality.
As karlsruhe.digital, we were not only a media partner of LEARNTEC, but also had our own joint stand on site – together with the Karlsruhe technology initiative technika. Our focus: the makers of tomorrow. Pupils from various Karlsruhe technology working groups presented their self-developed projects and gave a lively insight into what happens when young people combine technology with creativity, curiosity and initiative.
Hands-on enthusiasm for technology – the technika joint stand
When the self-built robot moves for the first time and a motorized vehicle from fischertechnik proudly makes its first lap, something magical happens: technology comes to life – and shows that it is more than just school material. It is an adventure, a playing field and the future all in one. They drill, tinker, build, try things out – and proudly present what they have developed at LEARNTEC: This year, the stand of the Karlsruhe technology initiative technika was not about dry theory, but about hands-on enthusiasm. Children and young people showed what they had designed, built and brought to life themselves in the technology working groups and in the open technikaLab – with great inventiveness, fun and an amazing amount of technical know-how.
The technika stand became a place full of movement – in the truest sense of the word. It whirred, clicked, rolled and vibrated. In addition to the popular marble runs – some with magnetic elevators – motorized vehicles, gripper arms, walking robots, massage rods, child-proof door locks and even an “egg-o-mat”, in which a pen draws colourful patterns on rotating Easter eggs using a motor, were created. Almost everything was built without instructions – simply by instinct, out of curiosity, with patience and a pinch of humor.
When curiosity meets inventiveness
“We just let the children do it,” says Eva Weber from the NCO after-school club, which is supported by the Karlsruhe City Youth Committee. “The technikaLab is completely open – no fixed date, no timetable. Anyone who wants to can just come and build. That’s the big difference to traditional working groups.” And it works. What students get up to here is remarkable – in terms of complexity, but also in terms of independence.
Jasper Gäckler (13) quickly designed a helmet as an eye-catcher for the trade fair appearance: when you blow into the connected tube, “music” sounds. A fun item, as he says – but one that combines technology with humor and art. Jasper is also the creative mind behind the childproof door lock and the “Ei-Omat”. His motto? “I just see what’s on the craft buffet – and then I go for it.”
Fabian, 14, developed a hydraulics game in which you have to keep a ball in balance with the help of pumps – a challenge for sensitivity and precision. A fishing game, in which eight balls have to be fished out of a box in one minute, combines technique and competition in a fun way.
STEM promotion that works – with freedom, fun and perspective
What do all projects have in common? They are created with passion, in a team, out of the desire to create something of their own. Hands-on technology – instead of frontal teaching. It’s about understanding how technology works, how a motor is driven, it’s about physical principles and robotics. And this is precisely why technika exists: to bring STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education into the everyday lives of children and young people in a practical, creative way, free from the pressure to perform. Be it in schools, in after-school groups, in the student research center or in the technikaLab. It is no coincidence that not only boys are enthusiastic about this, but that many girls are also passionate about it.
“Something is planted here that the children can use very well later in their careers,” says Stephan Kallauch from technika. “Technical skills, self-confidence, problem-solving skills – and above all: the courage to simply try things out.”
This year’s LEARNTEC once again showed that if you start having fun with technology at an early age, you will stay curious – and perhaps a self-built gripper arm will one day lead to a desire to study or even a career dream.
Future Skills: Education with a vision
This year’s motto “Future Skills” clearly characterized the event. Today, skills such as problem-solving, adaptability, critical thinking and collaborative work are in demand – precisely the skills that are promoted as a matter of course in projects such as those of technika. Workshops, panels and exhibitions discussed how education systems can meet these challenges – and what role digital technologies play in this.
Award-winning ideas and sustainable concepts
The delina – Innovation Award for Digital Education also focused on pioneering projects. In the “Early Childhood Education & School” category, the award went to TESS Augmented Reality, a learning concept that uses AR technology to make complex scientific content intuitively accessible to pupils – further proof of how technology can create new approaches to education.
No less future-oriented was the LEARNTEC Eco Award, which honored particularly sustainable stand concepts. First place went to HI Factory, which impressed with regional materials, reusable elements and a holistic sustainability concept. A strong signal that innovation and environmental awareness are not opposites – even in the trade fair context.
Two events, one vision
Once again, NEW WORK EVOLUTION took place alongside LEARNTEC – a format that considers the future of work and education in a joint framework. The connection between these two topics was evident in numerous sessions and discussions: Learning and working are now more than ever two sides of the same coin. For young people growing up in a digital world, this holistic view is essential – and this is precisely where the work of karlsruhe.digital comes in.
Our conclusion
LEARNTEC 2025 was much more than just a trade fair for us – it was a place of lively exchange, inspiration and concrete educational encounters. With our joint stand, we were able to show how young people in the Karlsruhe region are already helping to shape what will count tomorrow. We would like to thank all participants and visitors – and especially our young developers, who not only understand technology, but also want to help shape it.
The next LEARNTEC will take place from May 5 to 7, 2026 – we are already looking forward to new ideas, projects and encounters.
More about the technika technology initiative: karlsruher-technik-initiative.de
This text was written in cooperation with Techtag. Parts of it were first published there.