The James Dyson Award 2024 has reopened and has called upon world-changing student design and engineering participants.
The award targets all engineering students, design students, and recent graduates. It has supported over four hundred young inventors with a life-changing sum of over $2 million NZD.
The international winner and global sustainability winner will each receive $61,500 to support their business propositions. A runner-up prize of $10,200 will be awarded to one national winner from each of the 30 countries where the competition is run.
The award appeals to ambitious designers who want to address a global issue, from cancer diagnosis to natural disasters. Ideas from previous prize winners include an off-road ambulance trailer for conflict zones, paint made from recycled glass that reduces the need for air conditioning, and a device to control bleeding from stab wounds.
Previous award recipients have achieved great success due to the global media exposure and funding injection that the prize offers.
In 2023, Massey University student Nick Holland won the national New Zealand award for his work on Pre-Podium, a user-friendly, re-engineered drug testing kit that aimed to prove athletic experience.
“I feel proud to have my work recognised and displayed on the world stage,” said Holland.
“Becoming a national finalist gives me more confidence to continue developing my invention and bring it to market.”
Sir James Dyson, the competition's founder and Dyson's chief engineer, created the award to encourage young inventors to improve people's lives.
“The world needs more doers who are ready to take on the problems of our time,” stated Dyson.
“Every year, the James Dyson Award gives young people a platform for their medical and environmental inventions.”
Past international winner Yusuf Muhammad won for his invention Automist, a device that tackles domestic fires with an ingenious water misting mechanism that uses ten times less water than a traditional system.
“Winning the James Dyson Award gave me great confidence and a springboard to success. As an internationally recognised award, it’s a fantastic vehicle to bring your ideas to life,” said Muhammad.
Since winning the award, Muhammad has led a successful company that has installed over 13,000 systems.
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