Teens win Samsung competition with clever anti-pollution device
Three teenagers have won £10,000 in a competition for entrepreneurs with a clever device to help fight water pollution.
Joseph Birch, 16, Ben Sindall, 16, and Liam Bridgman, 17, from Bromley, took first place in Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow Competition in the 16-18 category for creating a device that uses waste cooking oil from restaurants to remove microplastics from polluted water.
OLEO, the device made by the three teenagers, was inspired by their passionate views on microplastics.
Mr Birch said: “We really hope we can further develop our idea and create an actual real-life product and business.
“We’ve worked with incredible people, like our mentor and some of the amazing people at Samsung – it has been such a great experience and we hope that continues.”
The Solve for Tomorrow Competition is a national scheme that gives young people in the UK and Ireland the opportunity to receive some of the best advice from leading industry experts and offers a creative space to develop exciting new technology.
Mr Bridgman added: “We think tech in the future will play an imperative role in how everyone lives their lives.
“If you look at the development over the last 20 years with the first smartphone, all the way to the phones we have now, it’s grown at such as exponential rate, and it’s just going to keep evolving into new areas we haven’t seen yet.”
Winners from each age group receive £10,000 each, paired with three months of focused mentoring from the Startup Discovery School, a new programme that aims to help young people become entrepreneurs.
Paul Scully, minister for tech and the digital economy said: “It is truly inspiring to see our next generation demonstrate such passion for innovation.
“Competitions such as Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, provide a positive platform to promote new voices, ideas and talent.
“It’s brilliant to see a technology leader such as Samsung create these opportunities for our young people in the UK.”
Pictured top: Joseph Birch, Ben Sindall, and Liam Bridgman collecting their prize (Picture: Samsung Solve)