Young inventor off to America after event victory

Young inventor off to America after event victory

26 June 2013

DOWN High School student John Neill has won the top prize at this year’s Northern Ireland Sentinus Young Innovators competition.

John’s Fone2 Find project was awarded the top prize from over 400 entries in the 11-19 age group. The Down High student one of the youngest to win this particular accolade.

Next spring, John’s off to Los Angeles where he will be Northern Ireland’s only representative at the world finals of the Intel/ISEF Engineering and Science Fair.

At the recent Young Innovators competition, the judges felt John’s electronic device was “innovative and had great commercial potential.”

They said John not only presented his device, but considered how it could be developed and sold, quoting profit margins and economies of scale in his presentation.

The local student received a Dublin Crystal trophy presented by Dr. Michael McGrath, a senior technologist with the Intel Corporation, a global company with over 60,000 employees.

In addition, John was also presented with a Gold Crest Award. Crest is a UK award scheme recognising success building skills and demonstrating personal attainment in STEM project work.

Sentinus Young Innovators is one of the largest regional Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) events in the United Kingdom.

In recent years it has grown to involve over 3,000 young people from colleges and schools from all over Ireland.

It also provides a showcase for students to demonstrate creativity, innovation and enthusiasm.

Projects are judged by more than 130 STEM ambassadors from local companies, further and higher education institutions and from public sector organisations.