Sophie Kelly, Kan Fitzpatrick and Rachelle Biayi, from Pobalscoil Neasain, pictured with Shay Walsh, managing director, BT Ireland at the official opening of the 2019 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.
Thousands of students will descend on Dublin’s RDS as the 55th BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition kicks off tomorrow.
The event brings together some of the country’s brightest young minds, from diverse backgrounds, as they compete to take home the coveted title of the BT Young Scientist & Technologist(s) of the Year 2019.
President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins will officially open the Exhibition at a special ceremony tomorrow, Wednesday 9th January, attended by students, teachers, Exhibition partners and stakeholders, and presented by broadcaster Aidan Power and TG4’s Roisin Ni Thomáin. The ceremony will be streamed live on Facebook from 2 p.m.
President Higgins has often paid tribute to the competition, for its ability to provide a platform for young people to showcase their talents, saying it is “at the pinnacle of scientific achievement and discovery amongst young people worldwide”.
President Higgins is a great supporter of the BT Young Scientist & Technologist exhibition, praising it for encouraging young people to push the boundaries outwards and applying their creative energy and curiosity to a constant exploration of how the world around them can be improved.
Speaking at today’s launch, Shay Walsh, Managing Director, BT Ireland said; “I am delighted to welcome the next wave of future scientists and entrepreneurs to the RDS this week for the 55th BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. Over the next few days the students will have the experience of lifetime, presenting their projects to some of the most renowned scientists and technologists in Ireland as well as the public; not to mention all the fun they will have making new friends and learning from their peers.”
“Since 1965, over three quarters of a million people have visited the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition illustrating how fascinated people are by the limitless possibilities of science and technology. BT Ireland is proud to both organise and sponsor the Exhibition, giving these bright students a prominent platform to pursue their interest in science and technology. I wish every single student the very best of luck this week.
The winner(s) of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2019 will be announced at a special awards ceremony on Friday 11th January. The overall prize winner(s) will be presented with a cheque for €7,500, the BTYSTE perpetual trophy and will go forward to represent Ireland at the 31st EU Contest for Young Scientists in Bulgaria this September.
It is the 19th year as both organiser and sponsor of the Exhibition for leading communications and IT services company, BT. Under its guardianship, the Exhibition has grown to become one of the largest and most renowned of its kind in Europe. This year will see the BTYSTE play host to a festival of science and innovation with guest appearances from leading tech entrepreneurs such as: Steve Collins, a world-renowned developer and co-founder of Havok, one of the most successful video game companies to ever come out of Ireland, and Azeem Azhar, an influential AI commentator and tech influencer.
Also taking place alongside the BTYSTE is The Primary Science Fair, now in its 17th year, bringing hundreds of primary students from across Ireland to the RDS from Thursday 10th January to showcase their projects. Come see the very young scientists tackling issues with science and technology - and a lot of enthusiasm!
As well as the projects on display, over 20 shows a day will take place during the Exhibition for students and visitors to see, including ‘Space: The Next Frontier’, a 3-D spectacle celebrating 50 years since the Apollo moon landing, highlighting the development of manned space flight. One of the world’s most loved science acts, ‘Ministry of Science’ is set to spellbind thousands of students over the coming days with quirky live science experiences like no other. Other returning shows, due to popular demand, include Sue McGrath AKA Scientific Sue and psychologist James Soper of “Your Beautiful Biased Brain”, with science demonstrations to amaze and entertain all ages.
There are 550 projects on show at this year’s Exhibition across four categories: Technology; Biological and Ecological; Social and Behavioural Sciences; and Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences. This year’s projects cover a wide variety of topics, from climate change to gender diversity and everything in between. Judging begins tomorrow afternoon, and the Exhibition opens to the public from Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th January, with approx. 50,000+ visitors, young and old, expected to visit the event over the course of the three days.
Visitors can plan their visit to the RDS in advance by downloading the free BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition app, available on Android and Apple devices. Full of helpful information, the app includes an exhibition map, a search tool for student projects and exhibitors, a schedule of events, as well as links to the BTYSTE social networks for live updates throughout the event.
· Open for visitors: January 10th, 9.30am – 5.30pm; January 11th, 9.30am – 5.00pm; and January 12th, 9.30am – 5.30pm
· Location: RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is a must for anyone with a passion for science and technology. For information and tickets, log onto www.btyoungscientist.com or follow the exhibition with #ItStartsHere and #BTYSTE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @BTYSTE.
You can also call 1800 924 362 from the Republic of Ireland or 0800 917 1297 from Northern Ireland.