Council Leader meets new generation of young scientists and engineers
Published: 9 March 2020
Council Leader Phil Bialyk was introduced to the next generation of innovative and high skilled workers during a visit to Exeter’s St Peter’s school.
Cllr Bialyk met pupils involved in a national science and engineering competition who have already impressed judges with a range of research on subjects from green transport to replacement antibiotics.
Around 14 per cent of jobs in Exeter are in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industries.
Cllr Bialyk praised the work of the pupils and said Exeter was gained a national reputation as a city of science and technology.
He said: “This is an example of young people bringing forward industrial ideas, and when you look at what we are trying to do in the South West with clean growth jobs for the future and the digital economy going forward, I think these youngsters are up to speed if not ahead of us in their ideas, which is great.
“I’m so pleased to see this. Exeter is becoming known as a centre of excellence for science, we have a great university with a lot of research, we’ve got the science park with a lot of industry going forward, and these are the jobs for the future that we need to keep young talent in the city.”
Cllr Bialyk met three teams from St Peter’s who were taking part in the Big Bang (Science and Engineering) Competition:
- Travel Cool - invented a mini portable fridge, originally designed for camping / festivals, now looking at medical applications
- The Great Bacterial Investigation – an individual project on antibiotics of the future, natural remedies
- Orkbrides Monorail – designed a monorail from Orkneys to the Hebridies, based on the brief of looking at the future of mobility linked to the growth of industry and business
The finals were due to be held at the national Big Bang event in Birmingham, and the City Council supported the school with a £250 grant to support the costs of transport and accommodation.
Unfortunately the final of the event has been cancelled as a precaution again the spread of the coronavirus Covid-19.