FIRST Global proudly announces Qualcomm as a Gold Sponsor for the 2018 FIRST Global Challenge

Students from Over 180 Nations Unite for the Annual International Robotics Event Building the Next Generation of STEM Leaders

MEXICO CITY – July 19, 2018 – FIRST Global, a not-for-profit organization established to promote science and technology leadership and innovation in young people from all nations through the sport of robotics, announced Qualcomm Incorporated as an official sponsor of the 2018 FIRST Global Challenge, taking place in Mexico City in August.  

By uniting future STEM leaders together in an engaging and collaborative competition that drives home the importance, excitement, and applicability of STEM education, FIRST Global embodies Qualcomm’s mission of inventing technology breakthroughs through supporting the next generation of inventors, dreamers, and doers. 

“We believe that helping to support the world’s next generation of innovators and increasing access to education and careers in engineering and technology is core to building up the brilliant minds who will help invent the technology the world loves and needs,” said Brian Modoff, executive vice president of strategy and M&A at Qualcomm Incorporated. “We are excited to work with FIRST Global and see the impact of their programs on youth worldwide, especially in diverse and underserved populations.”

The FIRST Global Challenge is a high-profile, international robotics competition convening high school aged participants from over 180 countries who work together to solve global challenges. This competition inspires not only those who participate, but also many more from the teams’ home countries. Qualcomm has contributed a great deal of engineering time and resources to FIRST Global through the development and implementation of the DragonBoard™ 410c powered control system included in each of the kits teams are using to build their competition robots. In addition, teams in several countries are using the FIRST Global kit as part of local STEM education initiatives. Through Qualcomm’s technical and monetary support, FIRST Global will be able to engage even more youth in the world of STEM, especially populations that are not typically given the chance to partake in equal education or opportunities of this kind. 

Jake Shuford, managing director of FIRST Global said: “The FIRST Global Challenge builds international relationships that will last a lifetime while inspiring future leaders of the world to pursue STEM education through the exciting sport of robotics and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. We are grateful to Qualcomm for their strong leadership and support.” 

About Qualcomm
Qualcomm invents breakthrough technologies that transform how the world connects, computes and communicates. When we connected the phone to the Internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our inventions are the foundation for life-changing products, experiences, and industries. As we lead the world to 5G, we envision this next big change in cellular technology spurring a new era of intelligent, connected devices and enabling new opportunities in connected cars, remote delivery of health care services, and the IoT — including smart cities, smart homes, and wearables. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including, our QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

About FIRST Global
FIRST Global’s mission is to inspire science and technology leadership and innovation in young people from all nations in order to increase understanding, instill the importance of cooperation, address the world’s most pressing issues, and improve the quality of life for all. By showing the youth of the world that if they communicate, cooperate, and work together – even in a competition – using the tools of science and engineering to find solutions to the world’s greatest challenges, they will be able to accomplish great things and become part of a truly global community. For more information, visit FIRST Global’s website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.

DragonBoard is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. 



en_USEN