The James Dyson Award, a global competition for young designers and engineers, has officially opened submissions for its 2025 edition. Now in its 20th year, the award continues to recognise and support student-led inventions that address everyday challenges and major global issues.
Participants from 28 countries and regions are invited to submit their problem-solving ideas, with the chance to win funding and international exposure to help turn their innovations into reality.
Supporting young innovators with funding and recognition
Since its launch in 2005, the James Dyson Award has provided over S$1.6 million in prize money to support more than 400 student inventions worldwide. The competition offers a unique opportunity for young inventors to refine their ideas, gain recognition, and potentially commercialise their creations.
Winners selected by Sir James Dyson will receive a grand prize of S$50,500, along with global media coverage to help accelerate their projects.
Singapore has seen strong representation in past years. One notable winner is airXeed Radiosonde, a reusable radiosonde designed to reduce e-waste caused by single-use models. Developed by Shane Kyi Hla Win and Danial Sufiyan Bin Shaiful from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, their invention won the 2024 Global Sustainability Prize. With their winnings, the team plans to conduct further testing overseas and collaborate with manufacturers to bring airXeed Radiosonde to market.
Another success story is Koh Bei Ning, Singapore’s 2022 National Runner-up, who commercialised her invention Rollo (previously known as Rollerball Itch Relief). The pocket-sized itch reliever gained widespread attention, leading to a sell-out within 10 minutes of its first online sales launch. This year, Bei Ning is producing a new batch of Rollo while improving its design based on customer feedback.
Past global winners also include mOm incubators, an inflatable, low-cost incubator designed to improve newborn care in underserved regions. Created by James Roberts, a Product Design & Technology graduate from Loughborough University, UK, the incubator has already supported over 10,000 patients and continues expanding worldwide, including in conflict zones like Ukraine.
A platform for future problem solvers
Reflecting on two decades of the award, Sir James Dyson, Founder of Dyson, said, “I started the James Dyson Award 20 years ago with the mission to inspire and support the next generation of design engineers. The brilliant ideas we’ve seen since then prove that young people are passionate about providing solutions to the world’s most pressing problems, using design, engineering and technology – in medicine, the environment and much more. I look forward to discovering what inventions will be put forward this year – good luck!”
Submissions for the 2025 James Dyson Award close at midnight on 16 July 2025. Entries will be judged at national levels based on functionality, design process, uniqueness, and commercial potential.
The timeline for key announcements is as follows:
- 10 September 2025 – National Winners announced, each receiving S$8,400.
- 15 October 2025 – Global Top 20 Shortlist revealed.
- 5 November 2025 – Global Winners selected by Sir James Dyson.
Aspiring inventors keen on solving real-world problems are encouraged to take part in the competition, with the opportunity to gain funding and recognition that could help bring their ideas to life.
