UKRI announced as theme partner for IET Faraday® Challenge Days

UKRI’s Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, has been announced as the theme partner for the 2024-2025 IET Faraday® Challenge Days season.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Faraday® Challenge is an annual competition of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) activity days, which are designed to be cross curricular and cover hands on activities spanning STEM.

The Challenge Days are run by regional delivery partners with up to six teams of local school students competing at each event to research, design and make prototype solutions to an engineering-related challenge. Teams must race against the clock and put their engineering and technology skills and knowledge to the test.

This year’s challenge is in association with UKRI’s Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, and during the season there will be 309 IET Faraday® Challenge Days across the country. The £610 million Faraday Battery Challenge is driving UK battery innovation from lab to factory, building a strong battery industry to boost growth, attract investment, and support road transport decarbonisation.

Dr Ben Walsh, Deputy Director, Faraday Battery Challenge, Innovate UK said: “We’re really excited to be supporting IET Faraday® Challenge Days for the young minds who will shape the future of science and engineering in the UK. By inspiring school children and young engineers to explore battery technology, we’re not only sparking their interest in the transition to a low-carbon economy but also equipping them with essential skills for their future careers."

Demi Cornell, IET Faraday® Education Manager, said: “We are delighted to have UKRI’s Faraday Battery Challenge on board as the theme partner for this season, giving students the chance to experience what it’s like to be young engineers for the day!

“Our events aim to encourage more young people to consider exciting and rewarding careers in STEM by using creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills. There is a huge demand for new engineers and technicians, and we are confident that this will challenge young people’s perceptions of engineering and inspire the next generation to engineer a better world for us all.”

The IET Faraday® Challenge Days are part of the IET’s wider Education programme, made up of a whole host of teaching resources and activities to inspire and attract the engineers of tomorrow.

The winning team from each event will win a place on the season’s league table. The top teams from across the UK will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the national final in June 2025 to compete for a cash prize of up to £1,000 for their school.

For more information, please visit IET Faraday® Challenge (theiet.org).

ENDS

Notes for editors

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About Innovate UK

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is the UK’s innovation agency. It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations.

Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.

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