James Dyson Award opens 2026 competition as Singapore marks 20 years

The James Dyson Award has opened submissions for its 2026 global design engineering competition, inviting current and recent design and engineering students across 28 countries and regions to submit problem-solving inventions. The initiative marks a milestone in Singapore, which is celebrating 20 years of participation in the programme.

Since its launch, the competition has supported more than 400 inventions and aims to encourage students to develop solutions addressing real-world problems. The 2026 edition continues this focus while highlighting Singapore’s track record of producing inventions that progress to international recognition.

A milestone for Singapore’s student inventors

The 2026 competition marks two decades since Singapore joined the James Dyson Award. Over this period, local participants have developed a range of inventions that address practical challenges in areas such as healthcare, environmental sustainability, and medical diagnostics.

Since 2006, the programme has offered student inventors media exposure, international recognition, and prize funding aimed at accelerating early-stage ideas toward commercialisation. Several projects from Singapore have progressed beyond the national stage to compete globally, including entries shortlisted in the Global Top 20.

Sir James Dyson, Founder of Dyson, said: “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. 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. I look forward to judging this year’s submissions.”

Notable inventions from Singapore

Singapore entries have consistently appeared among the competition’s top projects. Several inventions have advanced from the national stage to global recognition, with two projects ultimately winning the global prize.

One example is the airXeed Radiosonde, named the 2024 Global Sustainability Winner. Developed by inventors Shane and Danial from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, the device aims to reduce electronic waste by replacing single-use weather monitoring radiosondes with a reusable alternative.

Another notable project is HOPES, a wearable biomedical device for pain-free and low-cost at-home intra-ocular pressure testing. Developed by a team from the National University of Singapore, the device was inspired by one inventor’s father’s diagnosis of glaucoma and provides a less invasive approach to monitoring eye pressure.

More recently, Mammosense was recognised as the 2024 Singapore National Winner and placed in the Global Top 20 shortlist. Developed by Luke Goh from the National University of Singapore, the tool analyses individual breast characteristics to determine the optimal compression force during mammograms, aiming to improve comfort and encourage participation in breast cancer screening.

How the 2026 competition will be judged

Entries for the 2026 James Dyson Award can be submitted through the official competition website until midnight on 15 July 2026. Eligible participants include university students and recent graduates studying design or engineering disciplines.

Projects are evaluated based on their ability to address a clear problem while demonstrating originality, a strong design process, and technical feasibility. Shortlisted entries are first reviewed by national judging panels consisting of design and engineering experts, including Dyson engineers.

National winners receive S$8,620 and move forward to the international stage. Global winners, selected by Sir James Dyson, receive S$51,700 along with international exposure intended to help bring their inventions to market.