Youth Challenge 2009 - the quest has begun

4th November 2008

The annual hunt is underway to find the best young innovators in the Highlands and Islands.

The ICT Youth Challenge is looking for more young people with bright ideas. Supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), BT Scotland, Microsoft and UHI the competition invites teams of young people to submit their ideas for information and technology and communications products of the future.

The most promising ideas are then selected and teams invited to pitch their ideas to a panel of experts. After a number of rounds, the competition culminates with five teams being chosen to go forward to a Hot House final, an intensive week of team work and expert advice focusing on supportive entrepreneurial activities that raise confidence levels and skill sets for the participants.

Alistair Murray, youth challenge project director said: "The challenge is really fun - one of the most worthwhile activities around and the prizes are breathtaking. Last year more than 500 young people entered and this year we want to ramp up activity. So, over the next few weeks watch out for youth challenge personnel in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles before they head back to visit mainland sites."

Taking part in the challenge has really made a difference. Several of the young alumnae have decided as a result to take a completely different career path than they'd originally planned whilst others have actually advanced their ideas to patent status.

Last year's winners came from Nairn Academy. Named ICT Unit, and consisting of Laura Fairley, Callum Beddie and Jennifer Baird, their idea was a scanning device for mobile phones that can sweep clothes barcodes to see if they fit. This won them a trip to the world famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, courtesy of HIE.

On returning from the USA the team then decided to enter the famous John Logie Baird Awards for young innovation and have successfully made it through the first round. Laura said: "This is just the icing on the cake. The trip to America was brilliant and there's no way we would have got this far without youth challenge. Everyone should enter."

John Mackenzie, development manager for business transformation at HIE added: "We're looking for innovative ICT ideas that either involve developing new technologies, or that use existing technologies, in a way that has never been done before. The challenge gives people belief in themselves. We're really proud of Laura and her team and all our past entrants. We hope that more young people take part in Youth Challenge this year. It's really easy to enter and if you're not in, then you won't win it."

Teams interested in taking part in the challenge can find out more and submit their ideas on the website www.youth-challenge.co.uk