Judging in the Esat BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition 2003 got under way yesterday at the RDS in Dublin, an event of national importance that provides a marvellous showcase for Irish talent.
Pupils aged from 13 upwards participate in this all Ireland exhibition, now in its 39th year. All have spent at least months if not a year or more carrying out their research and polishing their findings, hoping to take the coveted title of Young Scientist of the year.
It is a truly remarkable annual happening, not least because of the more than 1,000 students who are involved in the exhibition.
Almost 100 of Ireland's top scientists and researchers see fit to volunteer every year to judge the competition. They give time, energy and enthusiasm to the undertaking, allowing the students behind each of the 477 projects on display to have their moment in the sun and explain their endeavours.
The exhibition is one of the longest running in Europe, beginning back in 1965 with sponsorship from Aer Lingus. For the last six years Esat and now Esat BT have funded and organised the event, continuing nearly four decades of generous commercial sponsorship that provides the lifeblood for the Young Scientist exhibition.
Involvement represents a not inconsiderable investment by the sponsors who this year will have provided in the region of €1 million to enable the exhibition to go ahead. Also noteworthy is the fact that winners over the years have enjoyed great success when their projects were brought, as part of their prize, to the EU's own Young Scientist event and a similar national science fair in the US.
Irish students have taken the top honours 10 times at the European contest and although being amongst the youngest entrants at the Science and Engineering Fair in the US, they have captured no fewer than 20 top awards.
This level of success is testimony to the high quality of projects that win the Esat BT Young Scientist of the Year accolade. The Minister for Education and Science, Mr Dempsey, yesterday officiated at the launch of the 2003 event, praising the students for their accomplishments.
Sponsorship of the exhibition represents a major commitment for the firm involved. One hopes that Esat BT can continue this good work and that other sponsors come forward as the event approaches its 40th year. Perhaps Mr Dempsey might take the cue, stepping in to guarantee its future in perpetuity.