Boosting intellectual property awareness is the real winner in this year's THINK kit competition

The winners of the UK Intellectual Property Office’s THINK kit competition have been announced today by the Science and Innovation Minister Malcolm Wicks.

A record 300 entries from students from across the United Kingdom competed for top prizes in this year’s THINK kit "Hobby to Enterprise" competition.

THINK kit is part of the UK Intellectual Property Office’s drive to ensure that tomorrow’s innovators are aware of the impact of intellectual property. Schoolchildren aged between 14 and 16 have taken up the competition’s challenge to come up with something new and useful to do with a hobby.

Students from Watford Grammar School for Girls have won all three prizes in the design and technology category, whilst Queen Elizabeth's School in, Barnet, have been awarded two out of the three prizes in the business studies category. The other successful student came from Somervale School, Midsomer Norton, near Bath.

Malcolm Wicks said:

"Our students of today will become the business people and wealth creators of tomorrow, and they need to know how to protect their good ideas. We want to encourage innovation and creativity, and this competition is a great way for young people to gain an understanding of intellectual property issues."

The "Hobby to Enterprise" competition is the latest in a series of annual competitions run by The UK Intellectual Property Office to complement the educational resource THINK kit.

This year's competition was launched in January 2007 and was open to design and technology and business studies students. There were two strands to the "Hobby to Enterprise" competition. The design and technology students were asked to come up with something new and useful to do with their hobby. The business studies students were asked to put themselves in the shoes of a business consultant, imagining that someone had approached them with a new innovation which has stemmed from their hobby. The students were asked to develop a campaign to promote the product, including considering IP needs.

Chief Executive of The UK Intellectual Property Office Ian Fletcher said:

"This year's record number of entries shows that the work done to raise intellectual property awareness in education has been very successful. The UK Intellectual Property Office will continue to work closely with schools and Universities to ensure students fulfil their potential."

"Ideas are a precious resource on which successful enterprises can be built. The THINK kit awards highlight the wealth of ideas that are generated in our schools today and I am impressed by the talent shown by the entrants."

This year's winners have been invited to the THINK kit Awards Ceremony in London on Wednesday 20 June 2007. Malcolm Wicks, Minister for Science and Innovation will be presenting the awards which include two prizes of £1000.

Editors' notes:

• In renewed efforts to ensure that tomorrow’s innovators are better aware of the potential influence of many aspects of IP, the UK Intellectual Property Office created the THINK kit, this is aimed at 14 – 16 year old students. The kit provides the materials and guidance needed by both students and their teachers, using case studies of well-known products and brands.
• There are two categories for the Hobby to Enterprise competition one for Design & Technology Students and one for Business Studies Students.
• The Design & Technology Students were asked to come up with something new and useful to do with their hobby. Students needed to show designs and label each element clearly to show how the product can best be used.
• The Business Studies Students were asked to imagine they were a business consultant, someone had come to them with a new innovation which stemmed from their hobby.
• The four runners-up (two from each department) will each receive £500 for the subject department to spend on resources for the school.
• There are individual prizes for each of the winners and a trip to the award ceremony which is taking place on Wednesday 20th June 2007 at DTI Conference centre, LONDON between 10:00 – 13:00.
• The judges for the competition are:
  
   - Ian Punter – Designing Magazine
   - Phil Robinson – Zorin Ltd
   - Lorna Collins – NCGE
   - Emma Duncombe – Writhlington Business & Enterprise Specialist School
   - David Millar – Enterprise Education Trust
   - Cathy Koester – British Music Rights
• Competition winners and runners up for the Business Studies category:
  
  1st - The Cork Screw Guitar Capo
  
  Tim Khoo
  Queen Elizabeth's Boys School
  Queens Road
  Barnet
  Hertfordshire
  EN5 4DQ
  
  2nd - Cycloptic
  
  Justin Thornhill
  Queen Elizabeth's Boys School
  Queens Road
  Barnet
  Hertfordshire
  EN5 4DQ
  
  3rd - The Big Breakfast Smoothie
  
  Grant Johnson
  Somervale School
  Redfield Road
  Midsomer Norton
  Bath
  BA3 2JD
• Competition winners for the Design and Technology category:
  
  1st - Anti>smudge Pro
  
  Deepanjli Motala
  Watford Grammar School for Girls
  Lady's Close
  Watford
  Hertfordshire
  WD18 0QE
  
  2nd - Knot Listening!
  
  Megha Bavaria
  Watford Grammar School for Girls
  Lady's Close
  Watford
  Hertfordshire
  WD18 0QE
  
  3rd - Skady
  
  Josie Appleby
  Watford Grammar School for Girls
  Lady's Close
  Watford
  Hertfordshire
  WD18 0QE