A tenth of Gen X (aged between 45 and 60) say they haven’t learnt anything new in the past year, in stark contrast to the 58% of Gen Z who learn something different every week.

Still, over a million Gen X wish to go back to school, showing they are not finished with their education just yet. 47% say this is because they want to learn about upcoming technologies such as AI, and 31% feel they have an idea they would love to bring to life.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a free, curriculum-linked programme that empowers 11–18-year-olds to design new solutions to help solve real-world problems using technology. With over a million adults aged 45–60 keen to return to the classroom, Samsung sent actor and presenter Larry Lamb back to school to explore how creativity and innovation can unlock new ways of thinking across generations.

In a new film, Larry’s perceptions of what young people get up to in school are flipped on their head. Lamb joined a group of students from Wembley High Technology College to brainstorm his own tech-for-good idea and discover how students use technology as a tool to make positive societal impact.

Speaking about his experience, Lamb said: “I’ll be honest, it caught me off guard how inspiring some of these young people are. I didn’t have access to competitions like Samsung Solve for Tomorrow when I was younger, and as I’m older, I find myself wishing initiatives like this were available to me. I started the day with a pretty clear idea of what I thought young people did in school, but that completely changed when I saw the incredible impact they’re capable of making, not just for the world today, but for our future too.

“Opportunities like this give young people more space to apply practical skills and make a change in the world. Whether it’s you, your kids, grandkids, or anyone else you know under 18, I’d urge you get them involved to help invent the future.”

This year’s competition focuses on three exciting themes: Smarter sport (tech that makes sport more fun, inclusive and high performing), Greener future (tech that protects our planet and supports sustainable living), and Safer online (tech that helps us stay connected, confident and in control). With tech prizes, work experience opportunities, and the chance to showcase student ideas on the iconic Piccadilly Circus big-screen, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a national competition designed to spark innovation in every classroom.

Commenting on the competition launch, Soohyun Jessie Park, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Samsung UK, said: “It was an extremely rewarding experience working with Larry for Solve for Tomorrow this year and seeing him interact and collaborate so our wonderful students at Wembley High. It was lovely to know that he came away from the experience with a much more informed opinion on what children today can learn in school and also how technology in young people’s hands can be a force-for-good when shaping the future with innovation.

“Our previous research shows that 85%** of young people believe a career in technology would allow them to contribute positively to society and we believe very young person deserves to feel like this. To recognize the need to support our next generation of innovators from a younger age, Solve for Tomorrow this year will be focusing on supporting school-aged children and young people, offering opportunities to access skills workshops, mentoring from Samsung and winning tech prizes and work experience opportunities.”

Applications are now open for young people aged 11–18 across the UK and Ireland to take part in the competition. Visit samsung.com/uk/solvefortomorrow to find out how schools can get involved and access free educational resources.

The event, hosted in Milan, attended by 60 participants, featured a dynamic showcase of ideas, workshops, and cultural activities. The finalists were joined by experts from Samsung and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) present as part of the joint initiative, Together for Tomorrow, Enabling People, aimed at engaging younger generations and creating a positive impact in the world through sport and technology. The experts mentored the teams to highlight the positive impact of youth-led programmes combining sport and technology to potentially solve societal issues. The Sport&Tech theme reflects a shared commitment of Samsung and IOC to inspire young people to become changemakers by combining the unifying power of sport with cutting-edge innovation, which also aligns with the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy, which leverages sport to promote sustainable development.

The Winning Teams and Their Innovations

• Curastep Raye & Sarah (UK). A Smart IoT biometric shoe to empower diabetes patients with foot problems to stay active.
• Liova, Evan & Simon (France). A eco-designed power bank using components from old devices.
• My Hormone, Petra & Zóra (Hungary). A comprehensive educational resource on female hormonal balance, addressing gaps in public health.
• SkillFIT, Alicia & Gabriel (Germany). An AI powered platform focusing on improving fairness physical education in schools
• VisionNex, Jakub & Jakub (Czech Republic). Affordable smart glasses to translate visual scenes into spoken descriptions to empower visually impaired people to be more active in their environments.

Samsung Electronics Chief Marketing Officer for Europe, Benjamin Braun and Samsung Electronics Italy’s Head of CRM and Media, Cristina Mangiarotti, shared valuable leadership insights and essential skills for their future projects.

The finalists were also supported by the IOC Young Leaders, Berber Swart, Sofia Bonicalza, Nicolo Di Tulio and Paul Bayetwho worked with students to strengthen their storytelling and pitching skills. The IOC Young Leaders programme is one of the IOC’s flagship initiatives designed to empower young people to drive positive change through sport, reflecting IOC’s mission and the Olympism365 framework.

5 Samsung Solve For Tomorrow Winners alongside (from the right Simon Sung, President and CEO Samsung Electronics Europe & on the left Louis Kim, President Samsung Electronics Italy, Daniel Park, Head of People Team Samsung Electronics Europe and Benjamin Braun, CMO Samsung Electronics Europe

“We are thrilled to see the incredible talent and creativity demonstrated by these young innovators”, said Benjamin Braun, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Electronics Europe. “The Solve for Tomorrow competition is a testament to the power of technology in driving positive change. We are proud to support these young innovators as they work towards creating a better future for all”

President and CEO of Samsung Electronics Europe Simon Sung said, “I am very proud that Europe is hosting the first ever regional Solve For Tomorrow competition. I am passionate about supporting the Olympism365 principles and the brilliant young people across Europe that are our future leaders. We want to grow participation in Solve For Tomorrow to create more opportunities like this in the future”.

“Olympism is not only about competition; it is about building a better world through sport,” said Ollie Dudfield, Associate Director of Olympism365 at the IOC. He congratulated Samsung for the Solve For Tomorrow programme and the Sport&Tech collaboration with the IOC, noting that “our shared vision through initiatives like Olympism365 empowers young people to use sport and innovation to tackle global challenges.” Dudfield encouraged participants to be proud of their journey, adding that “together, we can help create a healthier, more inclusive and better-connected world.”

The Winning Teams

“We had a lot of fun meeting new people and exploring Milan during the European Solve for Tomorrow competition. It’s been incredible to win with CuraStep. We can’t wait to see what’s next!” CuraStep

“We were so excited to take part in Solve for Tomorrow European competition. If you believe in what you do and invest yourself fully, it will come True!” Liova

“We have dreamt of reaching the top five with our My Hormone project since the moment we stepped into the European finals. Seeing our ideas come to life and sharing this moment with everyone who believed in us is an incredible feeling”.  My Hormone

“When students feel seen, they start to believe in themselves and if you really believe in yourself, you can achieve anything. Just like we did with our idea SkillFIT at the European Competition.” SkillFIT

“This was an amazing experience. It was great to hear other finalists from all over Europe and we are proud that our idea of AI powered smart glasses for the blind was selected among the 5 winning ideas.” VisionNex

All ten finalists took part in a three-day series of workshops and pitches in Milan.

About Samsung Solve for Tomorrow

The Solve for Tomorrow initiative encourages young innovators to develop creative solutions to global challenges using technology. The European competition marks a significant milestone in Samsung’s commitment to fostering innovation and empowering the next generation of leaders.

For more information about Solve for Tomorrow in the UK please visit: https://www.samsung.com/uk/solvefortomorrow/

LONDON – October 10, 2025 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced today the 10 finalists of its inaugural European Samsung Solve for Tomorrow[1] Competition, which will take place in Milan, Italy, in late October.

The finalist ideas were selected by a panel of judges who evaluated candidates based on creativity (Idea), quality (Implementation) and impact (Scalability) — across different categories. These included Sustainability, Health, and “Social Change through Sport & Technology”.  This last one is one of this year’s Global Themes after being voted on by the public in the Together for Tomorrow, Enabling People community. The newly launched theme reflects a shared commitment to inspire young people to become changemakers by combining the unifying power of sport with cutting-edge innovation.

“The quality and innovation demonstrated by the entries from across Europe in our Solve For Tomorrow 2025 program was stunning,” said Benjamin Braun, Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Electronics Europe. “The 10 finalists should be very proud of this achievement, and we are looking forward to welcoming them to Milan”.

The 5 winner teams of the competition will have the opportunity to travel to Samsung’s HQ in Korea in 2026 for a guided visit that will hopefully inspire their innovative minds.

The 10 finalist ideas and their representatives[2] are:

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow program is active in 20 countries[3] across Europe, with each nation selecting their best ideas to solve community-level issues with technology.

Visit these websites for more information on Solve for Tomorrow: 

https://csr.samsung.com/en/program/samsung-solve-for-tomorrow

https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-solve-for-tomorrow-introduces-global-themes-to-unite-student-innovators-worldwide

https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-solve-for-tomorrow-meets-the-olympic-spirit-dreaming-of-a-new-future-through-technology-and-sport-with-the-ioc

https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/together-for-tomorrow-enabling-people-ioc-and-samsung-launch-new-digital-community-to-engage-young-olympic-fans-and-drive-positive-change

Samsung CSR

[1] Samsung Solve for Tomorrow was launched in 2010 and is a global problem-solving platform where youth around the world use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to solve real-world issues in their communities to build a better future together. Over the past 15 years, almost 2.8 million students in over 68 countries have participated in the program. Launched in the United States in 2010, it began its European expansion in 2019, initially launching in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. As of 2025, the program is now active in a total of 20 European countries, with approximately 38,000 participants in 2024.

[2] For those teams comprised of more than 2 people, they will be represented by the finalists featured in this press release.

[3] Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Switzerland, The Netherlands, U.K.