Winners of The Bosch Technology Horizons Award Announced

The Bosch Technology Horizons Award is an easy-to-enter essay writing competition that is open to all young people aged 14 to 24. Now in its fifth year, the competition aims to raise the profile of engineering and technology amongst young people, and entries are increasing year on year.

Entrants were asked to write a short essay in answer to the following question:

‘Are engineering and technology essential for future development?’

Speaking about this year’s competition, President of Bosch in the UK, Peter Fouquet, said:

“The Bosch Technology Horizons Award inspires young people to think about the influence they could have on engineering and technology and we in turn are also inspired, by the content of the essays that are produced. Engineering and Technology play such a vital role in our world today, not least for the part they can play in protecting our environment and the people who live in it.”

Winning the top prize of £700 for the 14-18 year-old age group, Caitlin Willis, from Chelmer Valley High School in Essex, said:

“It feels amazing to have won and I would definitely recommend the competition to other students. I never really realised before the big part that engineering plays in our everyday lives. But now after researching it, it has made me think about how different life would be without it and it has also made me think about a job in engineering.”

Taking the first place prize of £1,000 for the 19-24 year-old age group, Thomas Dean, from Loughborough University, said:

“The competition has made me seriously consider the role engineering has to play in the future, and I believe that the role is a vital one for the human race. The basic technology required to sustain the population and the planet for the future already exists today. It is the challenge for engineers to ensure that it is accessible to all and applied efficiently, providing the greatest benefit to civilisation.”

The runner up from the 14 to 18 year category received £300 and five ’highly commended’ finalists were awarded £150 each. The runner up of the second age group of 19 to 24 year-olds received £500 and the five highly commended finalists of that category received £250.

The Bosch Technology Horizons Award is supported by The Royal Academy of Engineering, an institution that brings together the country’s most eminent engineers from all disciplines to promote excellence in the science, art and practice of engineering.

Speaking about the 2010 competition Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering Philip Greenish said:

“This is an inspiring and thought-provoking competition, and we were delighted to recognise the two winners at our recent Awards evening at Guildhall, where the contribution to engineering made by young people is particularly emphasised.”

Hosting the award presentation was President of Young Engineers and former TV presenter, Kate Bellingham. Also present were Andrew Castle, Vice President for Bosch in the UK, and members of the judging panel, including last year’s winner of the 19-24 year-old age group, Gavin Harper, Chief Executive of Engineers without Borders, Andrew Lamb, Editor of SecEd, Peter Henshaw, Communications Manager for the Royal Academy of Engineering, Claire McLoughlin, and Education Journalist, Steve McCormack.