Tenth EU contest demonstrates ability of young scientists
Improving the mobility of the visually impaired; developing a scanner to produce 3D images; and solving the problem of paints yellowing in the dark: each of these projects was a top prize winner in the 10th EU Young Scientists Contest. These three projects, which each won first prizes of ECU 5,000, were the work of young European scientists - Austrian, Hungarian, and British - none of them older than 20. In this its tenth year, the EU Contest for Young Scientists demonstrates the value of encouraging Europe's young people to participate in research which will benefit the whole of European society in the future. As Edith Cresson, European Commissioner responsible for research and innovation, comments, "scientific research and technological developments are at the heart of our economies and societies. New products and innovation appearing on the market are based in large part on science and its applications." With the Contest designed to encourage young Europeans to contribute to this process, she states, "we have, after ten years, yet to be disappointed". Some 90 winners of national competitions in the EU's Member States, from the Central and Eastern European countries, and further afield, from the USA, Japan and Korea, took part in the EU Contest, which is part of the Training and Mobility of Researchers programme (TMR). In 1998, competitors from Israel, Malta and Slovenia participated for the first time, bringing the total number of participating countries to 30. The tenth contest was held in Porto, Portugal, from 21 to 26 September 1998. The prize-giving ceremony was attended by Professor Mariano Gago, Portugal's Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Fernando Gomes, Mayor of Porto, and Professor Jorma Routti, the European Commission's Director-General for Science, Research and Development. In addition to the three first prizes of ECU 5,000, three second prizes of ECU 3,000 were awarded. The prize winners are as follows: - First prizes: . Gabor Bernath (Hungary), for ScanGuru - the 3D scanner; . Paul Pak and Peter Weilenmann (Austria), for "the Virtual Blindmanscane"; . Robert Carney and Matthew Thomas, (United Kingdom), for research on the yellowing of alkyd-based paints in the dark; - Second prizes: . Karsten Weiss (Germany), for Digi-Cow, a new type of milking machine; . Arthur Baas, Adrian de Groot and Chris Weel (The Netherlands), for POSEIDON, a wave-motion power generator; . Dasa Suput (Slovenia), for a study on the movement and toxicity of sea anemones. Further information on each of these prize-winners, as well as the six third prize winners, and honorary prizes, may be found on the European Commission's Europa Web server, at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg12/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie) The 11th EU Contest for Young Scientists is due to be held in Thessaloniki, Greece, from 21 to 26 September 1999.