'IZY Solution' from Eastbourne College win Davidson Inventors Challenge with solar water sterilisation system  

A team of year 12 students from Eastbourne College in Eastbourne, UK, were crowned winners of our second Davidson Inventors Challenge, an innovation competition for schools focused on sustainability. 

The winning team, called IZY Solution, includes Year 12 students Alisa Ievskaia, Denise Yip, Susan Shan, James Zhou, and Zichen Zhou. They developed a system that uses solar energy to sterilise and boil water. They were one of four finalists to present their projects in yesterday’s online final.  

Our Davidson Inventors Challenge was launched in 2021, to encourage 14- to 17-year-old UK students to use engineering problem-solving skills to develop an innovative solution that addresses one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

 IZY Solution chose to focus on SDG six: ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’. Their solar sterilisation system was aimed at addressing the lack of potable water for millions of people worldwide, and they also identified the potential for their innovation to impact the UN SDGs one (no poverty), three (good health and wellbeing) and five (gender equality).  

The final was incredibly competitive with the judges highly impressed by pitches from all four finalists.  

Team Filakas from Harrow School (Year 12) developed a bioplastic smartwatch screen protector; Smart Plastics (Year 12) from Aylesbury High School, designed a biodegradable lateral flow test and Biogas Renewed (Year11) from Wallington Country Grammar School pitched their method for producing hydrogen using bacteria, to provide a renewable energy source. 

“You are going to be the next generation facing the challenges that we have now, with new processes, with new technologies, with new ideas,” said Clemens Kaminski, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CEB) at Cambridge. 

The online final, attended by the four finalist teams, as well as students from other participating schools, also included talks from the current President of the Institution for Chemical Engineers (IChemE), Jane Cutler, and IChemE Past President Dame Judith Hackitt.  

Cutler discussed the IChemE’s recent work targeting the UN SDGs, including the launch of their Sustainability Hub earlier this year. 

Dame Judith shared how her passion for engineering and degree in chemical engineering at Imperial College London led to a varied and highly rewarding career in industry. She also discussed her review of building regulations following the tragic fire at Grenfell in 2017, highlighting that all her recommendations were recently implemented through an Act of Parliament that received Royal Assent at the end of April. 

“Inspiring young people to rise to the chemical engineering challenges which exist today is so important and I hope sharing some of the highlights of my own career will help to do that,” said Dame Judith. 

She called on students with a passion for the science, problem-solving, and making a difference, emphasising “engineering is most certainly the profession for you”.  

Jane Cutler was on the judging panel for the competition and presented the winners with signed certificates. The winners will also have the chance to visit our department and explore the city of Cambridge, as well as tour an Amazon site either virtually or in person. 

In his closing remarks, Kaminski said: “I was extremely impressed to see the next generation of brilliant scientists coming through […] You really have achieved something. Out of so many contributions to this event to come into the top four is a real achievement, and I know you’ve got brilliant careers ahead of you. Do consider a career in chemical engineering and biotechnology, and do consider starting with us.” 

In memory of John Davidson, 'founding father of fluidisation'

The Davidson Inventors Challenge is aimed at young students interested in STEM in tribute to our Emeritus Professor, John Davidson, and former Head of Department, who sadly passed away last December. He was known as ‘the founding father of fluidisation’ and worked in chemical engineering since 1952, including in the areas of fluid flow, process dynamics, gas absorption and fluidisation technology, remaining a very active researcher until his death. 

He was passionate about his students, interested in their well-being and enjoyed their questions. He was always committed to the very highest standards of teaching and research and often had simple solutions relying on a profound understanding of the fundamentals.   

This year, the Davidson Inventor’s Challenge involved more than 40 schools and around 200 students. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners, The Association of Science and Technology in Malaysia (ASTI) and The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), and all participating schools and students for their excellent submissions.