Chisinau, April 16 – The State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) celebrated the creativity and visionary spirit of the young generation during the awards ceremony of the 10th edition of the Contest in the Field of Intellectual Property for Young People. The event, which has become a point of reference for pupils in the Republic of Moldova, was organized in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research (MER), the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks of Romania (OSIM) and the Romanian Copyright Office (ORDA), with the support of the (EU4IP) Project “Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights – Enlargement and Neighborhood”, funded by the European Union and implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

The contest, which has already become a tradition, is organized annually in the context of World Intellectual Property Day, marked on April 26. This year’s edition was held under the theme “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate”.

The interest in the contest was impressive: 184 pupils registered for the current edition of the contest launched on January 19, 2026, 110 successfully passing the first stage. The final stage brought together 55 exceptional works, presented by young people from 30 educational institutions from different localities of the country. The creativity, originality and relevance of the works were evaluated by a specialized jury representing the institutions-organizers of the contest, which designated the following winners:

AGEPI Awards:

• Gr. I Prize: Valeria BANU (12th grade, T.L. “M. Eminescu”, v. Sudarca, Dondușeni district)
• Gr. II Prize: Dumitra COCIERU (11th grade, T.L. “Aristotel”, Chisinau municipality)
• Gr. III Prize: Victoria LEAHOVICI (10th grade, T.L. “A. Donici”, v. Peresecina, Orhei district)

Awards of the Ministry of Education and Research:

• 1st Prize: Maria IORDAN (11th grade, T.L. “N. Donici”, v. Dubăsarii Vechi, Criuleni district)
• 2nd Prize: Silviana SANDU (10th grade, T.L. “O. Ghibu”, Chișinău municipality)
• 3rd Prize: Marcela VARZARI (8th grade, T.L. Măgdăcești, Criuleni district)

In addition to the main prizes, the jury offered a series of special mentions of encouragement to pupils who distinguished themselves by the originality of their approach and the applicability of the solutions proposed in the context of correlating sports with intellectual property, thereby recognizing the efforts and creative potential of young people.

The winners were rewarded with cash prizes and vouchers for gadgets and state-of-the-art electronic products. Beyond the prizes, all participants benefited from a socialization and training program at the AGEPI headquarters, designed to strengthen the community of young inventors.

A particularly enthusiastic moment of the celebration was the announcement of a unique opportunity offered this year: the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) will organize a study visit to its headquarters in Alicante, Spain, especially for the winners of the contest. During this visit, the young people will benefit from rich educational experiences within one of the most important organizations in the world, will participate in sports competitions and will enjoy a diversified program of recreational activities, designed to broaden their professional and cultural horizons.

During the award ceremony, Natalia MOGOL, Deputy Director of AGEPI, emphasized the social impact of the initiative: “Young people are the engine of innovation, and protecting their creations is essential for the development of our society. Through this contest, we aim to inspire pupils to follow their passions, innovate and protect what they create.”

The representative of the Ministry of Education and Research, Angela Prisacaru, appreciated the quality of the projects presented, the creativity and involvement of young people, reiterating the constant support of the ministry for the development of a culture of respect for intellectual property among pupils.

A decade of promoting creativity

We recall that the first edition of the contest took place in 2017, being conceived as a strategic initiative to bring the world of copyright and inventions closer to school desks.

Today, the contest remains a valuable platform for encouraging young people to explore the field of intellectual property, giving them the opportunity to express their ideas, learn about the legal protection of creations, and contribute to a society where innovation is respected and promoted as an engine of development.