James Dyson calls for budding engineers to tackle the problems our planet faces, as his engineering competition opens for 2023

The James Dyson Award, an annual engineering competition with a sustainability-focus run by Dyson’s charity, is now open and accepting submissions from young inventors who have ideas to improve our planet.

Since 2005, the Award has challenged entrepreneurial undergraduates and recent graduates of engineering to tackle a global problem, from environmental issues to improving healthcare practices. Past winners have developed solutions to advance plastic recycling (Plastic Scanner) and the biodegradability of materials (MarinaTex, AuREUS), as well as bettering at-home medical diagnostics (Blue Box, HOPES).

To date, the competition has awarded 390 inventions with prize money, and over 70% of past global winners are commercialising their winning inventions. We need more game-changing ideas to tackle global environmental and medical problems, and James Dyson thinks young people have the answers and drive to make a difference.

Sir James Dyson chooses the competition’s global winners; they receive vital funding and high-profile recognition – key first steps to take their ideas into real life practical application.

Sir James Dyson, Founder, said: “We are looking for young engineers who are hard-wired to solve problems sustainably, often using less energy and fewer materials, and who want to improve the world through their ideas. Young people have the ideas that can change things for the better, and they should be encouraged. The James Dyson Award gives them the platform to pursue their inventions, and I look forward to judging this year’s entries. Good luck!”

What can winners expect?

1. Prize money. Global winners receive $50,000 AUD and National winners receive $8,800 AUD to put towards the next phase of their invention’s development.
2. Media attention. Previous winners have highlighted the awareness brought by the Award as one of the most valuable contributions to getting their ideas off the ground.
3. Past winner support. Last year the Award launched a network for past winners commercialising their inventions; events and networking opportunities for winners to connect, share experiences and consider inter-winner mentorship.

Each participating country and region will award a National winner ($8,800 AUD) and two National runners-up. The National winners are chosen by an external panel in collaboration with Dyson. Last year, the Award opened for the first time in Thailand and Turkey, and this year the competition launches in Portugal.

Those that win a National accolade proceed to the International shortlist and awarding stages, where James Dyson selects his global winners.

What makes a good entry?

The best inventions solve a real-world problem that impacts our planet. They provide clear and intelligent solutions. A successful past winner was Amy Killen from Monash University in 2016, with invention Thermalife, a safe and cost-effective device for the transportation of blood in developing countries.

The inability to maintain the correct temperature for blood in transit from one blood bank to another has been identified as a major cause of unsafe blood transfusion. Thermalife uses a specialised cooling process that utilises intermittent absorption technology coupled with reflective solar panels that supply the device with a regenerative and reliable source of energy, to maintain cooling during long transit journeys.

Amy commented: “I feel very honoured to be receiving the James Dyson Award. A difficult aspect of being a young designer is having the confidence needed to vocalise your ideas. Knowing that your work has been reviewed and encouraged by seasoned industry professionals is a wonderful feeling and has certainly given me a more self-assured outlook as I continue working in the field of industrial design.”

Amy’s inspiration for Thermalife stemmed from the need to make equipment affordable to all sectors of the global health care system, especially in developing countries where it’s often needed the most. During this project, Amy created a number of low-cost prototypes to test the cooling function of the device, as well as a full-scale model which was submitted as part of her application to the James Dyson Award.

Dan Watson, inventor of SafetyNet Technologies, was 2012’s International winner. SafetyNet is a light that fits onto fishing gear to combat unwanted fish and marine creatures trapped in commercial fishing nets. He founded his company SafetyNet Technologies after winning the Award, delivering pioneering technology and support to build a better, sustainable fishing industry. Alongside high-quality LED lights, SafetyNet Technologies also provide underwater video cameras and ocean sensors to support the fishing industry. “SafetyNet is global now, we work all over the world. We’re starting to lead in the fishing industry”, says Dan.

In 2016, US National runner-up SoaPen, a colourful soap pen for children encouraging safe handwashing, commercialised their invention and were featured on Shark Tank. SoaPen has shipped over 60,000 units of SoaPen across America and are expanding their product portfolio with new SoaPen colours and a body wash pen.