Twenty nine young engineers received their statuettes at a celebratory dinner, and the selection panel – drawn from experts across the industry – shared their praise for the nominees.

“If one attribute singles out the BrightSparks from their fellow engineers it is that they take nothing for granted when it comes to developing their careers in the electronics and technology industries,” commented Richard Wilson, of Electronics Weekly, and one of the judges.

“They are not satisfied with the knowledge they gain at university or college; they are highly self-motivated young individuals who are always looking to develop new skills through personal projects and self-directed learning.”

The CEO of RS Components, Lindsley Ruth, speaking at the event (right), highlighted entrepreneurial and altruistic themes:

“What has impressed me most about the EW BrightSparks winners is that all of them demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit with a clear focus on innovation and efficiency of their designs. They show the confidence to take a risk, to embrace opportunities and to push the boundaries of what they are able to achieve. These BrightSparks are taking their advanced skills and knowledge and applying them in a commercial environment.”

“Another thing that stood out for me is how altruistic so many of these BrightSparks winners are. As STEM ambassadors, they use their skills and knowledge and inspire other young people; they donate their time to run practical workshops from soldering to coding, and even design and develop products specifically for the purpose of teaching basic computer science and programming.”

The section panel for the EW BrightSparks programme consisted of: Isabella Mascarenhas (IET’s Young Professionals Engagement Manager), Tony Fish (co-founder FabLab London), Paul Hide (COO, techUK), Dr Lucy Rogers (science writer and presenter), Lindsley Ruth (CEO, RS Components) and Richard Wilson (editor, Electronics Weekly).

Thank you to all who took the time to take part in the programme, especially those who nominated third-parties.

Full coverage of EW BrightSparks 2017, including the full list of BrightSprks, will appear in a special supplement in Electronics Weekly, in the May 24 issue.

See also: www.electronicsweekly.com/brightsparks/