Ecosystem and Partners

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. 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.

The eXhIBITIon

ecosYsTem anD ParTners

“I think that is something that is fundamental to being involved. We try as much as we can to get them into the RDS to talk to the students. It is very important for them to establish some level of engagement with the students.” Others at the exhibition include bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency, Science Foundation Ireland, the Irish Research Council and the Garda. Companies are there too such as Eli Lily, and they are there only as bodies who rely on science and research to sustain their businesses. “People are not allowed to sell during the exhibition,” she says.

The companies themselves are there for lots of reasons, but there is no mistaking their enthusiasm for the exhibition and their desire to see it succeed. Intel plays an important part in sustaining this ecosystem and has a clear view of why it does so.

It fosters a genuine interest in science and engineering in the minds and hearts of students, parents and teachers, the company says. It also makes science and engineering look “cool” and helps to address the myth that science and engineering is boring and only for nerds. It believes STEM is vital for a strong economy and to help fill the talent pools of technology companies, it says, adding it has a vested interest to make sure the exhibition thrives. Long-standing sponsor Analog Devices points to the contribution the exhibition makes to society at large in nurturing our youth and developing in them an enthusiasm, positivity and ‘can do’ attitude. It feels obliged to support initiatives that build an interest in science and technology, while also fostering innovation, inquiry and an inquisitive mind. The exhibition is the catalyst that influences many students to choose careers in the STEM subjects, says Analog Devices. Yet there are other benefits for the students in developing a confidence in their own ability.

The Institute of Physics describes the event as a “cornerstone” of the Irish science calendar, one that has entered the public consciousness and has had a real impact on Irish society. It links schools and colleges throughout Ireland and is inspirational to anyone involved in it, and also aligns with the Institute’s own mission to promote physics.

The exhibition gives students an unforgettable experience and encourages them to develop their scientific thinking, of value even for those who do not remain in the sciences, the institute says.

Sponsor EMC highlights the positive impact on the students who participate, describing the exhibition as a valuable life experience and loads of fun too. It offers young people the chance to think in new ways about careers in science, engineering and technology.

It supports education generally by adding an extra dimension to learning, encouraging communication and presentation skills and demonstrating the value of team working.