The year 2026 at the Innovation Hub of Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University began with hands-on engineering practice. From 5 to 9 January, the Hub’s space turned into a practical laboratory for 9th to 11th grade students interested in radioelectronics, programming and IoT technologies.
The Winter School of Radioelectronics and IoT 2026 was organised by the Department of Computer Technologies in Medicine and Telecommunications together with the Innovation Hub of Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University, with the Center for Conversion and Professional Adaptation (CCPA) acting as a co-organising partner. The event was held with the support of BGV Group Management, founded by Hennadii Butkevych.
The main goal of the school was to give young people an opportunity to experience engineering through practice. Participants did not only study theoretical concepts — they created their own working devices and tested how electronic components, microcontrollers and programming come together in real engineering tasks.
Over five days of intensive hard skills training, participants moved step by step through the full process of creating an IoT device: from reading electronic circuits and soldering components to programming microcontrollers and assembling their own functional prototypes.
The programme helped students move from basic questions such as “What is this board?” to understanding how embedded systems work and how a technical idea can be transformed into a working device.
A particularly important result of the school was the participation of winners and graduates of the previous Embedded Development Hackathon. Their return to the Innovation Hub shows that young people are not joining these events only once, but are building a more systematic learning path — deepening their technical skills and preparing for more complex engineering challenges.
The skills gained during the Winter School create a strong foundation for the next stages of the Innovation Hub’s educational and innovation pipeline. In spring 2026, participants will be able to continue developing their ideas during Hack The FICT, a large-scale IoT hackathon. With the technical background gained during the school, they will be better prepared to present competitive projects.
Another upcoming opportunity will be the traditional 3D Printing in STEM Hackathon, where participants will be able to apply their engineering ideas in the field of additive technologies.
For CCPA, involvement in such initiatives reflects its commitment to supporting youth technical education, practical skills development and the growth of a regional innovation ecosystem. The Winter School demonstrated that engineering is not only about formulas and theory. It is also about curiosity, experimentation and the drive to create something new.
