Space exploration in the service of Earth: FITEA 2025 to take place at IMDEA Materials

  • The Forum of Innovation, Talent and Aerospace Education (FITEA) 2025 will bring together young talents from Ibero-America and Europe for the international final of the “Mars Challenge.”
  • FITEA will hold its second edition from 29 to 31 October 2025 at the IMDEA Materials Institute, serving as a platform for dialogue between the educational community and the aerospace sector.

The international educational programme Mars Challenge, promoted by Virtual Educa and Space Talent Lab, will hold its 2025 international final in Spain, within the framework of the Forum of Innovation, Talent and Aerospace Education (FITEA 2025). The event will take place at the IMDEA Materials Institute headquarters in Getafe (Madrid) from 29 to 31 October.

The Mars Challenge aims to inspire and empower students to design sustainable solutions that make life on Mars possible while transforming life on Earth. Thinking about Mars, with its challenges of scarce resources and extreme habitats, compels us to rethink solutions that can be applied to our own planet.

Fire as the motor of energy innovation

The 2025 edition of the Mars Challenge focuses on the element “Fire,” approached from the perspective of energy, sustainable fuels, and thermal survival in hostile environments.

Its methodological format is based on an interdisciplinary hackathon, focused on STEAM challenges, soft skills, and future thinking, promoting the development of projects and solutions centred on the energy field.

The projects presented by the finalists must meet a dual requirement: they must be viable for a crew travelling to Mars and, at the same time, applicable on Earth.

FITEA 2025 enjoys strong institutional and corporate support

The second edition of FITEA is supported by the Spanish Ministries of Education and Vocational Training, and of Science, Innovation and Universities.

Sponsorships include Airbus (Gold) and Indra (Bronze), with contributions from organisations such as ENAIRE, PLD and ALA, as well as participation from leading companies including Hispasat, Aena, Capgemini, ITP Aero and Oesia, among others. Local commitment is reflected in the support of the Getafe City Council, GISA, ALEF Getafe and the Getafe Aerospace Hub Network.

You can find more information and register free of charge for FITEA 2025 here.

Media contact

Forum de Innovación, Talento y Educación Aeroespacial FITEA
Laura Laliena/Rubén Gutiérrez
fitea@tiecomunicacion.es
680 401 502/ 672 727 46