The search is on to find teams of young people from across the Highlands and Islands, willing to take part in the Highlands and Islands Youth Challenge, a major technology innovations competition.

PICT Innovation Ltd, a partnership company established to foster good ideas and turn them into business ventures by supporting research and commercialisation, is delivering the programme on behalf of Highlands and Islands Enterprise.  They are looking for teams of four to six people under the age of 20, with innovative ideas for information technology projects that have the potential to become commercially viable ventures.

PICT project manager, Bryan Fraser, said the challenge promised to offer fun and excitement as well as rewards.  He added:  "Traditionally there has been no shortage of innovation in the Highlands and Islands, and young people are no exception to that.  The challenge has been organised to encourage and reward innovation among young people in a way that is exciting, fun and educational.  The various stages of the competition will encourage the development of a wide variety of skills including communication, presentation and project management."

It is hoped that teams of young people from Shetland to Argyll will take part.  They will be offered support and advice from mentors from the business sector and from specialists in key subjects areas, such as public speaking and presentation, project management, website and internet.

Applications, from schools, community groups, youth groups and other interested young people, can be completed online (www.pict.org.uk/hothouse or call 08700 636333) and should be submitted no later than 15th November. The best teams with the most innovative ideas will be selected and invited to present their ideas to a panel of industry experts in December. A number of teams will be asked to develop their ideas with the support of specialist advice and support and submit them by Easter next year.

The finalists will then be invited to take part in the grand final event next summer, which will be a seven-day residential workshop held at the 'Hot House'.  This will see the production of prototypes, and competitors will be judged on teamwork, innovation, feasibility, communication and peer opinion.

Prizes will be awarded at each stage of the challenge.  The overall winning team will receive an all-expenses trip to Media Lab in Dublin to learn about the "blue-sky" innovation research and development that is taking place throughout Europe.

The challenge is being supported by a host of sponsors including BT Scotland, in conjunction with BT's world-renowned research and technology business, BTexact Technologies.  The list of supporters also includes Sony, Media Lab Europe, Business Lab and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

HIE chairman, Dr. Jim Hunter, said:  "At the Digital Edge Conference in Inverness last year, director and co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Prof. Nicholas Negroponte, emphasised the importance of investing in young people and supporting their education and development through innovation.  This is precisely what is being done through the Highlands and Islands Youth Challenge, offering an exciting opportunity for young people who have an interest in IT innovation.  I am delighted that we are able to provide this opportunity and equally that it has attracted so much support from so many other organisations."

Graham Reid, director of BTexact's engineering practice, added:  "We are absolutely delighted to be engaged with the Highlands and Islands Youth Challenge.  There is an enormous potential for innovation within our young population and giving them an outlet for their creativity and energies in a business context is something we very much like to encourage and be actively involved with."