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James Dyson Award call for PH entries, July 20 deadline

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By 
Denny Mata

The brief is simple: Design something that solves a problem.

Whether the problem is big or small—something we face in our daily lives, or a global issue such as world hunger, health, and global warming—as long as you present an effective, efficient, well-thought out and well-designed solution, you are welcome to participate in the James Dyson Award (JDA).

The James Dyson Award is an international design engineering competition for students and recent graduates of engineering and design, aiming to solve problems through ingenious inventions.

Left: “Petit Pli,” designed by Ryan Mario Yasin, has versatile waterproof shells that are pleated in such a way that they can grow bi-directionally to custom fit a large range of sizes. The project was shortlisted for International Top 20 in 2016. Right: “Smart Contact Lens Platform,” designed by Huayi Gao, continuously and non-invasively monitors glucose levels in tear film, and sends the information to a mobile phone so patients can better manage their diabetes. The project was an International Runner Up in 2016.

“Young engineers and designers have perspective and unbridled intelligence that makes them incredibly adept at problem solving. Their ideas can easily be dismissed, but if nurtured and celebrated they are transformative. Developing a product is a long and daunting process; the James Dyson Award celebrates the inventive young people embarking on that process. The Award champions our next generation of inventors and will propel them towards future success. I am excited to see what surprising ideas this year’s award brings,” James Dyson says in a press release.

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As of 23 May 2018, the Philippines is officially a participant to the JDA, and the foundation is calling for entries from Filipino engineers and designers alike.

Ester Wang, Global Top 15 Finalist for James Dyson Award 2011, demonstrates how her invention, Rabbit Ray, is used in different scenarios at the Dyson’s newly opened Demo at The Podium. Rabbit Ray was recognized globally in the James Dyson Award in 2011, and Esther took it to the next level by starting her own company, Joytingle, to commercialize Rabbit Ray. Esther is a Forbes 30 Under 30, and a Healthcare and Sciences Featured Honouree 2018.

Who can enter

Entrants must be enrolled for at least one semester in an undergraduate or graduate engineering or design program at a university, or have been within the last four years, in a country or region chosen to participate in the James Dyson Award (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, UK, and USA).

For team entries, all members of the team must meet the eligibility. One will need to be nominated and registered as the team leader.

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How to enter

Concisely explain what the invention is, how it works, and their development process. The entries must be realistic and sustainable,  show iterative development, solve a real problem and tell a story. Submit imagery to support the application, and show evidence of physical prototyping, sketches, and CAD.

Enter through an online application via the James Dyson Award website. Entries will be accepted until 20 July 2018, midnight GMT.

Judging process

Entries are judged first at the national level before progressing to the international stage. A panel of Dyson engineers select an international shortlist of 20 entries. The Top 20 projects are then reviewed by Sir James Dyson, who selects the international winner.

What’s in store

Each national winner receives £2,000; (2) international runners up receive £5,000 each; and the international prize winner receives £30,000 (+£5,000 for their university) to develop their idea. Aside from the monetary award, the winner will gain international exposure through the competition.


The James Dyson Award is under the James Dyson Foundation (JDF). JDF is  a charity and a non-profit organization established by James Dyson dedicated to encouraging young people to think differently, make mistakes, invent and realize their engineering potential.

Founded in 2002, JDF exists to inspire future engineers by supporting education initiatives from primary school through university. Originally set up in the UK, the foundation now exists in the US and Japan, and runs activities in 25 countries. To date, the foundation has donated £60 million to charitable causes.

For further information, visit www.jamesdysonaward.org.

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