Submissions are now open for the James Dyson Award, a global design and engineering competition open to emerging designers each year.
Established more than 20 years ago, the award aims to support the next generation of inventors by providing a platform to deliver a technically and commercially viable solution to a problem – particularly one that targets a sustainability issue.
Founder of Dyson Sir James Dyson said he established the award “to encourage young ‘doers’ in life who are focused on solving the problems they see in the world, not grandstanding about them.”
The competition is held across national and international rounds. In the first stage, shortlisted entries are reviewed by national judging panels of design and engineering experts, including Dyson engineers, with the winning entrants receiving $10,020 and a chance to progress to the international stage. In this final round, Sir James Dyson will select global winners to receive $60,050 each and an opportunity to develop their inventions.
In the past, Australian entrants have been awarded internationally. Ed Linacre, who won the international award in 2011, developed an Airdrop irrigation concept to harvest evaporated water moisture from the air. In 2024, Australian entrant Sorbet secured a spot in the award’s Global Top 20 with an acoustic panel design made from shredded household textile waste and a starch-based glue.
“It has been inspiring to see so many brilliant ideas from young design engineers, many of whom have gone on to build businesses and take their problemsolving ideas to people and markets all over the world,” Dyson said.
University students and recent graduates of design and engineering subjects are eligible to apply. The competition is open internationally across a list of 28 countries and regions, including Australia.
Details on how to apply can be found online, with entries due by 15 July.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
