On May 29, 2025, we proudly hosted the 10th Jubilee RECCS Pasta Bridge Building World Championship — a celebration of engineering creativity and structural strength. This milestone event paid fitting tribute to the traditions of the past nine championships, while offering a platform for a new generation of engineers to showcase their talent. The stage was flanked by giant LED screens displaying animations of Budapest, the flowing Danube, and a symbolic bridge, setting a majestic backdrop.
This year was particularly exciting, as we were once again able to welcome both national and international teams after a hiatus since 2019. Returning teams joined us from Transylvania, and for the first time in RECCS history, a team from France entered the competition. A total of 11 teams competed with 14 bridge structures.
We invited Miklós Vincze to host the event. He famously set a world record in the Bridge category in 2013 with a load-bearing capacity of 570.3 kg — a feat that remains unbeaten to this day!
Following the jury evaluation, the official part of the championship began. The event was opened by Prof. Dr. Enikő Maior, Vice-Rector for Education, who reflected on key moments from the previous nine championships and emphasized the competition’s significance for future generations of engineers.
After her address, Miklós Vincze gave a brief history of RECCS and introduced the competition rules and schedule. He also presented the members of the jury:
Dr. László Zsidai, Head of Department at MATE, Member of the Mechanical Engineering Division of the Hungarian Chamber of Engineers – Jury President
Dr. Árpád Czifra, Associate Professor at Obuda University’s Bánki Faculty – Head of the Competition Committee
Szilárd Márkos, from Bánki Faculty – Official Certifier of the Competition
Zoltán Laky, from Bánki Faculty – Developer and Operator of the Load Testing Equipment
Dr. Czifra then evaluated the submitted bridge structures, confirming they met the requirements. However, several bridges had to be reclassified from the bridge to the support category due to their technical design.
Next came the Parade of Champions. A moving video montage recapped the highlights of the past nine years, including dramatic bridge collapses and record-breaking moments. Zsombor Kovács, President of the Student Union, presented jubilee certificates and commemorative gifts to teams that had previously won world titles and accepted our invitation.
Notably, students from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca had won in the Bridge category in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018, supported by Professor Ferdinánd Zsongor Gobesz. This year, the awards were accepted by Cristian Mojolic, the current faculty advisor.
Alireza Nazari and his team from Atatürk University (Turkey) were three-time winners and set a 2017 world record in the support category with a load capacity of 666.3 kg. One of the 2019 championship team members, Mohammadsaber Sheikh Mohammadi, returned to the competition with this year’s Turkish teams. We were honored to congratulate Alireza Nazari in person.
Obuda University, a longstanding RECCS participant, also received recognition. Multiple champions — including Szilárd Márkos, András Filip, Zoltán Szabó, Tamás Barna, Csaba Járó, Miklós Vincze, János Papp, Gréta Nebl-Gimesi, Viktor Menyhárt, Donát Huszák, Benjámin Horányi, Roland Mátlé, Norbert Laky, Sarolta Makay, and Péter Zoltán Takács — were awarded personalized certificates and team mementos. A group photo was taken to commemorate the moment.
Miklós Vincze took the floor again, expressing gratitude for the recognition. He noted that RECCS became so popular not just due to its impressive records, but thanks to the meticulous and professional organization led by dedicated staff such as Dr. László Legeza, Imre Bakos, Dr. Sándor Horváth, and Katalin Lőrincz.
He also paid tribute to Prof. Béla M. Csizmadia, former president of the Mechanical Engineering Division of the Hungarian Chamber of Engineers, a frequent jury president at RECCS. We also remembered Tibor Kovács, former Head of Department and moderator of past events, and Éva Kovács, who served as interpreter.
Finally, the championship’s most anticipated moment arrived: the destructive testing of the meticulously constructed bridges. The competition began!
Teams in the Bridge category presented their structures first — five bridges in total. As each team came on stage, their pre-submitted introduction videos were shown. This was followed by the Support category, featuring nine entries. The audience witnessed dramatic moments and remarkable performances.
While teams enjoyed lunch, the organizers compiled final results and selected special awards based on load-bearing performance.
Dr. Viktória Sugár, Vice-Rector for Sustainability and Strategic Development, delivered the closing speech. She praised all teams for their creativity, thoughtful design, diligent planning, and careful execution. She noted that the bridges were not only technical marvels but artistic creations, and the dramatic collapses once again demonstrated the immense physical forces at play. Though no new world record was set, several structures came impressively close in the Support category.
She thanked past champions for attending and helping to rekindle the spirit of earlier competitions. She also expressed deep appreciation to the organizing teams from Obuda University’s Bánki Faculty, the Technical Office, and all contributors. She extended thanks on behalf of the university leadership to corporate partners for their support.
After her speech came the awards ceremony.
Awards Presented By:
Dr. Viktória Sugár, Vice-Rector for Sustainability and Strategic Development
Prof. Dr. Zoltán Rajnai, Dean of the Bánki Faculty
Final Results and Special Awards
Aesthetic Special Award: Presented to team MEGAMÉTER for their bridge “Híd-négyes”, recognized as the most visually refined and beautifully designed structure.
Innovation Award: Given to Span Masters from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, for employing innovative technologies and creative engineering solutions.
Additional Awards by Partners:
Gyermelyi Zrt. Special Award, presented by Gábor Bokros, Director of Marketing, awarded to the Mekaronika team from Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania (Marosvásárhely).
Hungarian Chamber of Engineers Award, presented by Dr. László Zsidai, awarded to the MEGAMÉTER team.
Kaposvár Scientific and Innovation Park Awards: presented to all Bánki Faculty teams: HID_v2.1, MEGAMÉTER, and Sz. és Sz.
To conclude the event, all participating team members were invited to the stage for a group photo. As a final surprise to honor the 10th anniversary, a RECCS Jubilee cake featuring the official logo and “10+” cupcakes were presented — a sweet ending enjoyed by competitors, spectators, organizers, and faculty advisors alike.
