Pictures: Kilkenny students meet local TD at Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition

Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow-Kilkenny Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere has called on the Department of Enterprise to introduce ‘prototype’ grants of up to €1,000 for secondary school students to help young innovators turn strong ideas into real, working projects.

Deputy Cleere was speaking as he visited local students at the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition which took place this week in Dublin. He said Ireland must do more to actively cultivate a culture of innovation and risk-taking among young people if the country is to build its own future industries.

“For decades Ireland has rightly been proud of attracting major multinational employers and that success has brought enormous benefits," he said.

“However, recent global events have shown that we cannot rely on that model alone. We must also focus on growing our own indigenous innovation and enterprise. That cultural shift needs to start early. We should be encouraging young people not just to seek secure employment but to see themselves as creators, inventors and future entrepreneurs.”

Hundreds of students are currently showcasing original scientific and technological research selected from thousands of submissions nationwide at the exhibition today and tomorrow. Deputy Cleere said it highlights both the exceptional talent of Irish students and a missed opportunity.

“The quality of ideas on display at the Young Scientist Exhibition is extraordinary. However, too many of these projects remain on paper. Students often lack the means to take the next step and turn an idea into a working prototype,” he said.

“Once the exhibition ends and the stands are taken down the learning and innovation should not end. That is the point where the State should step in.”

He said the proposed prototype grants would allow selected student teams to purchase materials carry out further testing and continue developing their ideas without having to rely on family resources.

“These would be modest grants of up to €1,000 per team focused specifically on prototype costs such as materials equipment and testing and paired with light-touch mentoring and clear safeguards,” he said.
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“Prize money will always have a place but innovation cannot be winner-takes-all. If we want a genuine culture of innovation we must support more young people to take risks experiment and learn.”

“This is a small investment by the State but one that would pay dividends. By backing young innovators early we are laying the foundations for the next generation of Irish companies Irish jobs and Irish ideas.”