The search is on for Drogheda’s Brightest Young Innovators who will own the local businesses of the future
HAVE you got what it takes to be Drogheda’s Brightest Young Innovators?
Transition year students in the nine Drogheda-based secondary schools (including Dunleer and Laytown) will have a chance to put their innovation skills to the test and win the 2020 Drogheda Young Innovator competition.
Now in its sixth year, the 2020 competition was launched on February 8th at the Fintech Coder Dojo in The Mill Enterprise Hub.
“We’ve had great success over the past five years. In 2018 a team from Sacred Heart Secondary School created a “Makes Cents Prepaid Card” app and won a cash prize in the Business Group Category”, said Breanndan Casey of The Mill Enterprise Hub.
“The company has seen over 3,000 accounts created since its inception in March 2018, and was recently featured on RTE News in November 2019 as part of a project to attract females into Technology”.
Organised by a voluntary group of teachers and local business people, the Drogheda Young Innovators competition challenges Drogheda’s Second level students to think about an innovating career in science & technology, social enterprise or business.
The competition is supported by local innovative companies such as State Street, Coca- Cola International Services, East Coast Bakehouse and Fitz Scientific. Volunteers will be vising the nine local schools in coming weeks to discuss the application process which has an initial deadline of March 20th, and the overall final will take place in mid-May.
There are three main categories – Science / Technology, Enterprise / Business, and Social Enterprise. There will be cash prizes for group and individuals in each category, and one overall winner. Applications for the Young Scientist and the Student Enterprise competition will also be eligible to apply.
“We want to encourage and reward Drogheda’s best young innovators,and for Drogheda to be proud of its science, business and social innovators”, added Breanndan Casey at the launch. “I fully expect some of these students to be establishing businesses in The Mill in the next decade, and building on our rich heritage of innovation”. Winners will be announced in May 2020. Further details on www.droghedayounginnovators.com.