THE EXHIBITION Ecosystem and partners
Ecosystem and partners Subtle changes have been taking place in the organisation of the annual BT Young Scientists & Technology Exhibition. A selfsustaining ecosystem of support for the event is growing up around it, cushioning it from financial downturns and helping to keep it vibrant and meaningful in the coming years. This ecosystem of support in no small measure arises through the efforts of the main sponsor BT. It involves building up the number of backers to give it a firm financial footing but also keeping existing supporters fully involved. Building the ecosystem also means ensuring that the event stays relevant to both the students and the teachers who represent a centre-point of the event. “BT remains strongly committed to this event because it supports STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) education in Ireland,” says the head of the company’s participation in the BT Young Scientists and Technology Exhibition, Mari Cahalane. “We are doing this for a reason and the reason is we want to keep students in STEM. That is what all the sponsors want, to be able to find good graduates coming from the universities and to help the universities bring in the brightest young people,” she says.
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BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition
One of the biggest backers is the Department of Education and Skills and Minister Ruairi Quinn is in no doubts about its importance to Ireland. The Government is committed to the promotion of STEM education and views the exhibition an important initiative in promoting Stem, he says. “The exhibition gives both participants and observers an appreciation of how developments in science and technology can allow us to meet the ever increasing demands on healthcare, education and energy resources.” Yet it also serves the student, fuelling imagination, promoting and rewarding innovation and creativity, and fostering an environment of ambition and achievement, he says. “The Department of Education and Skills is supportive of initiatives that help to develop students’ skills and that positively dispose them towards science subjects, something that is at the heart of reforms being undertaken across the education sector.” “We have a number of partners that we know from year to year will continue to be involved.” When she talks about involvement however this is not just cutting a cheque. “We target people we think would make good partners.” Cahalane says. Some sponsors cover the cost of special awards and others take stands at the exhibition that runs alongside the event. A good example is the Institute of Physics in Ireland, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2014. They have been present at the RDS from early on, and Young Scientist cofounder Tony Scott in fact was one of the original members of the Institute here as well, says Cahalane.
