Students from six Kilkenny schools set for BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition next week

Second-level students from six Kilkenny schools are gearing up for the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) 2023, which gets under way next week, January 11-14.

Over 1,700 projects were entered for the upcoming competition, and BTYSTE judges selected the 550 projects which will be showcased at the exhibition. Health, new technologies, agriculture, sport science, and environment are among the key trends which have emerged from the entries.

Health has come out as a top issue for students this year as 24% of projects delve into this area. Projects ranged from cancer research, allergy remedies, diet and nutrition, to ways to improve our sleep and cardiovascular health.

The students also looked at new applications and technology-based solutions to improve everyday life for those living with a variety of illnesses and conditions.

The environment remains a key focus for young people taking part in the exhibition. This year 20% of the projects entered tackled environmental issues across all STEM categories.

For some students, finding solutions to coastal erosion and improving recycling methods are the main objectives, while others focus on exploring new ways to reduce carbon emissions. Students didn’t only turn their enquiring minds to the earth’s environment, but went beyond into space, with projects looking at how meteorites, the atmosphere and space travel impact our world.

Over 10% of projects featured new technologies, applications or devices with students exploring topical areas such as road and water safety, sustainable energy usage, along with a variety of other novel ways that technology can assist and improve our daily lives.

Meanwhile, sport-based projects examining the science behind physical activity, tactics, nutrition and results feature in over 10% of projects. A further 10% of projects look at how we learn, and new ways to improve cognitive processing of information.

Thousands of visitors are set to walk through the doors of the RDS where the brightest minds from across the island of Ireland will be showcasing their brilliant projects in a celebration of science and technology. Spectacular acts will also provide entertainment. The student finalists will be interviewed by an eminent panel of over 80 judges, before the winner is ultimately announced.