Tech awards ceremony set to recognise the rising software stars of the future

Talent from campuses across Scotland will have eyes on the prize in Edinburgh next week, says Chris Mccall

The best undergraduate computing talent will be recognised at an awards evening next week open to all students studying computer science and software engineering in Scotland.

The Young Software Engineer of the Year awards will bring down the curtain on Scotsoft2017, the annual festival of ideas and innovation that showcases Scotland’s technology sector. Organised by digital trade body Scotlandis, the competition asks universities to nominate one final year student of computer science or software engineering.

The shortlisted candidate’s work will be judged on criteria including innovation, relevance and technical difficulty.

Shortlisted projects for the awards include a table app to elicit pretend play for children with autism spectrum conditions, a modular bus system for high-altitude balloon missions, a synchronous mobile messaging system and a smart mobile attendance system.

Two projects focus on bikes with one calculating suspension settings and the other on enriching cycling maps through crowdsourced sensor data.

Graeme Smith, a former winner and now managing director of Amazon Development Centre (Scotland) said: “I’ve seen the Young Software Engineer of the Year awards from both sides. The YSE award really helped me get attention from employers in the early stages of my career.

“As an employer, I’m proud to support the awards because it’s important to recognise up and coming talent and it has been a great way for us to get introductions to these graduates, several of whom we have hired in the past.”

Polly Purvis, CEO of Scotlandis, said: “The innovation and ideas that have gone into the shortlisted projects are outstanding and cover a wide range of industries.

“As digital technology plays an increasing role in our daily lives, it is vital that Scotland equips itself with the skills to lead the way in this sector. It is the inventiveness that is demonstrated in projects like this that will ensure we continue to deliver in the years ahead.”

The event takes place on October 5 at Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

0 Polly Purvis, CEO of Scotlandis