Latest news from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ

16 Jan 2013

Industrial design students win international competition

A team of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ industrial design students has won an international competition run by global company Philips.

The ‘Innovation Open’ competition invited inventors from across the world to put forward their ideas for new products.  Hundreds of entries were received from more than 45 different countries.

Finalists were selected to present their ideas to a panel of judges that included Philips executives from marketing, innovation, research and Intellectual Property.

The º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ team – students Alex Ballantyne, Catherine Bliss, Nicholas Booth and Caitlin Boyland from the Design School – presented a fresh approach to oral healthcare that uses ultrasonic technology and a modern design to clean teeth.

Their pitch clearly impressed the judges and the team was awarded first place and a cash prize of €25,000.

Speaking about their success student Catherine Bliss said: “Taking part in this competition has been an amazing experience – and we are all still in shock at winning.  To know that we beat off competition from across the world makes us all feel very proud.”

Professor Tracy Bhamra, Dean of the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Design School added: “It is incredibly impressive that a team of undergraduate students from the University has won such a high profile global design competition.  Inventors from across the world put forward their ideas, but it was our students’ concept that impressed the judges the most.  This is testament to the high calibre of students we have here at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ.”

−ENDS−

Notes for editors

Article reference number: PR 13/08

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year 2008-09 title, and is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in national newspaper league tables. In the 2011 National Student Survey, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ was voted one of the top universities in the UK, and has topped the Times Higher Education league for the Best Student Experience in England every year since the poll's inception in 2006. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been awarded six Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

It is a member of the 1994 Group of 11 leading research-intensive universities. The Group was established in 1994 to promote excellence in university research and teaching. Each member undertakes diverse and high-quality research, while ensuring excellent levels of teaching and student experience.

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