Young innovators across the Highlands and Islands have until next Friday (5 December) to submit their entries to a major information communications technology (ICT) competition.

The PICT ICT Youth Challenge 2004 is run by PICT Innovation Ltd, a partnership company established by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to foster bright ICT-based ideas with the potential to become business ventures.

Now in its second year, the competition is open to teams of between three and five people under the age of 20.  Schools, community groups, youth groups and other interested people anywhere in the area covered by the HIE network are eligible to submit projects. 

Entrants whose projects show the most commercial promise will be invited to present their ideas to a panel of ICT industry experts on Tuesday 16 December.  The best of these teams will then be invited to develop their ideas with expert support  and submit them again to the specialist panel  during March 2004.

In June, the final six teams will take part in the 'HotHouse' level of the competition, a seven-day residential workshop during which they will be helped to develop their product to an advanced stage in an environment designed to mirror a real-life business situation.

The winning team will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to see innovative research and development in action at the world-renowned Media Lab Europe in Dublin.

Last year, the first PICT ICT Youth Challenge attracted 50 entrants, with the top prize going to an electronic top up card for mobile phones developed by a team from Alness Academy.  The runners up, from Plockton Academy, also adapted mobile phone technology to create a prototype global positioning device which could aid mountain rescue.

PICT project manager Bryan Fraser said he was hopeful that the quality of entries to the 2004 competition would be at least as high as in 2003. 

"The first competition uncovered a tremendous level of innovation among young people of the Highlands and Islands, and we're looking forward to the next crop of bright and innovative ideas," he said. 

"Time is tight, however, and I would urge anyone considering entering the competition to finish off their submissions as quickly as possible."

Entry forms are available online at www.pict.org.uk/hothouse or by calling PICT on 08700 636333.

The PICT Youth Challenge 2004 is being supported by a host of sponsors including BT Scotland, in conjunction with BT's research and technology business, BTexact Technologies.  The list of supporters also includes Sony, Media Lab Europe, Business Lab and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.