Technicus Award: Young geniuses, strong ideas - AI in the spotlight

Whether Aqua Bloom, Smart Glove or Honey Guard: With the theme “Momentum - AI: Exploring the Future!”, the Technicus Award at HTL Mössingerstraße in Klagenfurt entered its fifth round on June 26, 2025.

Organized by the association of graduates under the direction of Burkhard Grabner, the competition once again became a highlight in the annual calendar this year - with a clear focus: making technology tangible and encouraging young people to implement their own ideas.

“Every year, the unique innovations that individual initiative is capable of are revealed anew,” said Director Hubert Lutnik, opening the event. The jury was made up of two HTL graduates with a strong technical background: Christian Smerietschnig from BigBang and Alexander Windbichler, CEO of Anexia. For Windbichler, returning to his former school is a fixture every year: “The projects show that an interest in technology and social issues are not a contradiction in terms - they belong together.”

13 projects from different year groups were presented. All of them dealt with artificial intelligence in their own way - technically, creatively or practically. Not only prototypes were created, but also new approaches. The jury was very impressed by both the innovative strength and the implementation of the projects!

A key topic was the use of AI in education. The contributions clearly showed that AI can promote learning processes, facilitate procedures and enrich lessons. However, it does not replace human access, pedagogical flair and social interaction.

The Technicus Award 2025 sent out a clear signal here. All participants emphasized the reflective and practical use of digital tools. Organizer Burkhard Grabner puts it in a nutshell: “Tomorrow's education needs technology - but also attitude, reflection and responsibility.”

The Technicus Award 2025 is not just a competition, its impact extends far into the classroom and school culture. It motivates, creates space for project work and shows that technical interest can also grow beyond the curriculum - if the framework is right. The competition makes it clear how technology-related education is practiced at HTL Mössingerstraße today: practical, future-oriented and socially relevant.