Youth challenge 2007 - young entrepreneurs invent gadgets of the future

More than thirty teams of budding young entrepreneurs from around the Highlands and Islands have competed to become the inventors of the gadget of the future.

The teams, aged between 11 and 19, have submitted their ideas to the 2007 ICT Youth Challenge, the competition to seek out the brightest talent from the Highlands and Islands.

This week each team that progressed through the initial competition stages used the video conferencing facilities at their nearest UHI college to pitch to a panel of judges in Inverness. The panel represents businesses from around the Highlands and beyond, including representatives from BT, Distance Lab, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Microsoft, Chartered Institute of Marketing, UHI and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).   

During the virtual conference, teams from as far away as Stornoway, Campbeltown and Wick outlined their ideas for revolutionary new technologies. The judges have now chosen the 16 best teams to go forward into the next Forum stage in March. There, entrants will be sifted down to six to go through to the Hothouse final in June, which is an intensive week of teamwork and expert advice focussing on turning their ideas into reality and producing working prototypes.

This is the third year that the ICT Youth Challenge has exclusively used video conferencing for the first pitch. Project manager Alistair Murray explained how it has made a huge difference: "In previous years each of the teams had to travel to pitch their ideas, making it difficult for those from remote areas to take part.  Now, thanks to UHI, we can use any of their 13 colleges throughout the Highlands and Islands which make it easier for the teams.

This year the competition really is hotting up and, although I can't reveal any details at this point, some of the ideas really are revolutionary."

UHI was very keen to get involved in the ICT Youth Challenge, which encourages the next generation of students to develop their ideas and learn from experts. Martin Wright, director of marketing and communications, said: "UHI is delighted to be involved in the challenge again this year, helping the judges and teams to communicate without having to travel cast distances, and in offering a judge of ur own.

"Technologies such as video conferencing are becoming increasingly important to businesses in rural areas such as the Highlands and Islands.  That makes it particularly appropriate that the ICT stars of the future are using video conferencing for this challenge.

"Video conferencing is also playing a vital role in both the management of UHI and delivery of courses across the UHI network - in a typical week we can deliver 190 hours of teaching by video conferencing.  Hopefully we'll be welcoming many of the team members at UHI in a few years time."

The challenge is supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), BT Scotland UHI Millennium Institute, Microsoft and MIT. 

Brian Weaver, HIE senior development manager said:  "The challenge encourages young people to think out of the box and come up with revolutionary new concepts." 

"But it's not just about dreaming up wacky ideas.  Youngsters work together to develop their team working skills and experts provide with support and technical advice that allows the youngsters to turn their brainwaves into viable proposals."

Youth Challenge 2007 has seen many more areas represented and, as well as schools, teams from youth clubs and colleges have entered the competition, future stages of which can be viewed at www.youth-challenge.co.uk