Glasgow inventors shine at UK awards
TWO inspiring Glasgow women are among the winners of a coveted award for potentially world-changing business ideas. Nina Birchard, who designed a device which could revolutionise the way newborns are resuscitated, and Petra Baiba Olehno, who runs ethical footwear website REPAIREL, have triumphed in the Young Innovators programme run by Innovate UK and the Prince’s Trust.
They each win £5000, business coaching and an allowance to cover living costs as they develop their projects.
Nina, 24, came up with the idea for the Newborn Rescue Towel, during her product design engineering course at Glasgow School of Art.
Every year around the world around six per cent of babies need some form of resuscitation but CPR techniques designed for adults or older children are not always suitable.
Nina created a small blue towel, which comes with instructions printed on it and a hand pump which, when squeezed, inflates an adjustable neck support to raise the upper back to help clear a baby’s airways.
“It’s pretty dangerous to use the adult technique on a baby,” said Nina, who hopes her invention will be used by midwives and doctors around the world.
“The level of support that’s needed can vary a lot depending on the size of the baby and I’ve designed it so it can be adjusted in a really quick way.”
Petra, 30, was shocked to learn billions of pairs of used and unwanted shoes end up in landfill.
Keen to tackle the problem and its impact on the climate crisis, she is setting up a one-stop-shop where buyers can choose ethical footwear online.
Her innovative service will allow people to compare information about shoes and brands.
The Young Innovators Awards recognise young people from across the UK with great business ideas who have the potential to become successful entrepreneurs and future leaders in innovation. Following an unprecedented level of entries, 64 awards were made this year. Nina said: “My product is a simple, non-invasive positioning aid which ensures open airways while providing thermal support and an aidemémoire to guide the user through the procedure.
“It is a novel, gamechanging product which is simple to use and easy to produce. The Young Innovators Award seems like an amazing, supportive platform to learn, build
and launch your business idea. I am so excited to get stuck in.”
Emily Nott, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Innovate UK says: “With 2020 proving to be an incredibly difficult year, maintaining our focus on Young Innovators was a priority for Innovate UK since finding the great entrepreneurial minds of the future is more important than ever.
“Working alongside this year’s winners, Innovate UK will help them grow and develop their business idea to make the world a better, and more innovative place. We can’t wait to see what they achieve this year.”