James Dyson Award opens search for next Filipino innovators
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The James Dyson Award has opened its 2026 competition, inviting Filipino university students and recent graduates to submit inventions that address real-world problems through design and engineering.
The international competition, founded by British inventor Sir James Dyson, aims to support young innovators whose ideas have the potential to create meaningful impact. National winners will receive P398,280 and advance to the global stage, where international winners selected by Dyson will receive P2.39 million.
“I established the James Dyson Award to encourage young ‘doers’ in life who are focused on solving the problems they see in the world, not grandstanding about them,” Dyson said. “It has been inspiring to see so many brilliant ideas from young design engineers, many of whom have gone on to build businesses and take their problem-solving ideas to people and markets all over the world.”
The award marked its 20th year in 2025 and attracted more than 2,100 inventions from young engineers worldwide, covering fields ranging from healthcare and household waste management to disaster relief.
Filipino innovators have also made their mark in the competition. Among recent national winners is Make-Roscope, developed by Jeremy De Leon in 2023. The invention transforms a smartphone or tablet into a pocket-sized microscope, helping address the lack of accessible science equipment in classrooms. Since winning, the project has evolved into the JereMAKE brand, selling more than 10,000 units and reaching students in over 70 schools and universities.
The Philippines’ 2025 national winner, SolAsin, was created by University of the Philippines Diliman graduate John Carlo Reyes to help small-scale salt farmers improve productivity through a compact solar-powered evaporation system.
Entries for the 2026 competition may be submitted through the James Dyson Award website until midnight of 15 July 2026. Eligible participants include current university students and recent graduates in design and engineering disciplines.
According to organizers, the strongest entries are those that solve a clear problem, demonstrate a well-considered design process, and show originality and technical feasibility.
