The hunt is on for the next generation of British inventors

The James Dyson Award, an annual student design competition run by Dyson’s charity, is now open and accepting submissions from young inventors. After receiving an impressive array of entries in recent years, the Award is increasing its prize money to support the crucial first steps of entrepreneurship.

This year’s National winners, to be announced in September, will receive £5,000 towards developing their invention, more than double the amount awarded in previous years. To date the competition has awarded more than 285 inventions with prize money.

Since 2005, the award has challenged entrepreneurial undergraduates and recent graduates of engineering and design, to ‘Design something that solves a problem’. Purposely broad and open-ended, the brief tasks students to take on big global problems.

Past winners have found solutions to plastic recycling accessibility, excessive blood loss from knife wounds, and improving at-home medical diagnostics. Sir James Dyson chooses the competition’s global winners; they receive vital funding and high-profile recognition – key first steps to take their ideas into real life practical application.

Aston spoke to 2014 Dyson Award winner and inventor James Roberts.