Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland Ltd. has announced the winners of its annual Solve for Tomorrow competition, which allows young people in the UK & Ireland to gain crucial skills and receive top-tier advice from leading technology experts. This year, the creative innovations designed by the winners had a heavy focus on sustainability, a focus becoming ever more important within societies and businesses.

The Solve for Tomorrow Competition is designed for 16–25-year-olds and is part of Samsung’s mission to use technology for good. Every year, the competition is open to the younger generation, regardless of their background or level of experience to help create positive change.

Joseph Birch from Bromley, 16, Ben Sindall from Epsom, 16, and Liam Bridgman from Beckenham, 17, were awarded 1st place in the 16-18 category with OLEO, a device that removes microplastics from polluted water using waste cooking oil from fast food chains and restaurants.

The group received mentoring and support from Samsung experts in a range of areas in the lead up to the competition to help hone their skills whilst creating the technology and guide them down their chosen path. The trio focused on the impact of microplastics in the sea, which is a major hazard and requires a special focus to help reduce the potential effects on fish and health, such as DNA damage, immune system disruption and cancer. 

To do this, the technology utilises waste cooking oil from fast food chain restaurants to remove a large amount of microplastics from the water. The OLEO filtration unit is broken up into 2 parts. An initial filtration begins in the first compartment – as polluted sea water enters the system to remove oil and larger pollutants. Due to their size, they can only exit the system via a different pathway. The solution then enters a second filtration where microplastics and any remaining oil is also removed. At the bottom of the unit, unpolluted water is left and deposited back into the ocean, whereas oil and any pollutants are stored for either removal or reuse.

Joseph, who was thrilled to be part of the team that won the 16-18 category, said he wanted to turn his passionate views on microplastics into a reality and ramp up awareness on the issue. He 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.”

His teammate Liam added: “We think tech in the future will play an imperative role in how everyone lives their lives. If you look at the development even 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.”

The winner of the 18-25 category, Kiara Taylor, 24, from Sandhurst, Berkshire, created technology known as ReGrow, which repurposes e-waste to make a low-cost irrigation system aimed at helping farmers in Ghana increase their crop yield.

This idea uses old technological devices such as phones and laptops to create a cost-effective irrigation system, which is vital within the agricultural industry to ensure crop quality and growth. Irrigation systems allow farmers to consistently grow crops to a regular schedule, meaning there is a reliable amount of food supplies and steady income for farmers in Ghana.

Soohyun Jessie Park, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Samsung Electronics UK, said: “Solve for Tomorrow has gone from strength to strength over the past few years, fuelled by the unbridled talent and enthusiasm of our participants who raise the bar each time with their ideas to improve the world around them.

“This year’s competition has again encouraged us all to look at what is possible and push the boundaries using technology. We can’t wait to see where our winners take their ideas next.”

Paul Scully, Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, attended the awards ceremony, and added: “It is truly inspiring to see our next generation demonstrate such passion for innovation. Technology is at the core of today’s society, and not only can it be harnessed in the right way to empower people and the planet, but it also offers great future career options. 

“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.”

Pre-registrations for the 2023-24 competition will open at the end of summer 2023. Watch out for announcements on Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow website.