Renowned inventor and engineer Dean Kamen, creator of the Segway, the iBOT wheelchair, and founder of the organization FIRST Global, delivered a keynote lecture on October 28 at the Ascanio Arosemena Training Center of the Panama Canal. During his presentation, he shared his vision of innovation as a tool to transform societies.

During his talk, Kamen emphasized the importance of inspiring new generations to engage with science and technology. Through FIRST Global, a nonprofit organization that promotes international educational robotics competitions, young people from around the world collaborate by designing and programming robots to solve global challenges.

Kamen recalled that the FIRST Global Challenge was founded eight years ago to bring together, much like the Olympic Games, one team per country to celebrate the power of technology and creativity. After being hosted in cities such as Washington, Dubai, Singapore, and Athens, this year’s event will take place in Panama from October 29 to November 1, 2025, with the participation of more than 190 nations.

The inventor highlighted that Panama symbolizes the connection between oceans and continents, making it the perfect setting to unite young people from around the world around cooperation and innovation. He also expressed his excitement to learn firsthand about the operation of the Panama Canal, one of the most iconic engineering feats on the planet.

With this event, the Panama Canal reaffirms its commitment to knowledge, education, and innovation, pillars that drive sustainable development and foster scientific exchange across generations and nations.