Winners of the 2014 BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp announced.

Students triumph at BT's innovation & skills camp at University College Dublin.

The winners of the 2014 BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp, a four-day intensive commercialisation skills programme held at NovaUCD and UCD Science have been announced today. Alex Gallagher Lynch, aged 18 from St Nathys College, Roscommon, Anna McEvoy aged 17 from Our Ladys College Drogheda, Cut Aina Hannisa, aged 16 from Regina Mundi College, Cork, Eamonn Sweeney aged 17 from Jesus & Mary Secondary School, Sligo and Emma Kirwan aged 16 from Tullamore College, Offaly  won ‘best overall team’ for their work on the  project ‘Addressing the issue of unnoticed road signs’, the project set out to design and engineer a cost effective solution to the issue of unnoticed road signs.

Evaluated by a judging panel from business, media and academia, the team was selected for its significant progress over the course of the innovation and skills programme. Katie Culligan, aged 17 from Dominican College Drumcondra was recognised as the best individual student. All of the winners will enjoy summer placements at leading third level universities including NUI Galway and University of Limerick.

Congratulating all the participants at the BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp award ceremony, Shay Walsh, Managing Director of Business, BT Ireland said, “It’s our fifth year delivering the BT Bootcamp here at UCD and as a judge I was once again hugely impressed with the entrepreneurial skills the students have displayed this week.  I hope that our 29 participants will be returning home this evening with an entirely new set of skills enabling them to take their idea out of the classroom and transform it into a viable business venture in the future. On behalf of BT, I would like to congratulate our winners and indeed everyone who has taken part this week.”

Professor Orla Feely, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact said, “I would like to congratulate the winners, and all the second-level students who participated on the BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp 2014 at NovaUCD. I hope that this intensive 4-day Bootcamp has helped to instil an ethos of entrepreneurship amongst the students, who are our next generation of leaders in science and technology, and an appreciation of what is required to convert innovative ideas into viable businesses selling products and services which can impact our economy and society.” She added, “University College Dublin is delighted to have once again partnered with BT in the delivery of this excellent programme as part of our outreach support for the promotion of STEM in Ireland.”

Delivered in partnership with UCD, the BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp aims to bridge the gap between business and education. For further information visit www.btyoungscientist.com.