North West students reach finals of national STEM competition

12 STEM students from schools in the North West are named finalists of The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition 2026, organised by EngineeringUK.

A sustainable floating farm, an AI-powered recycling bin and renewable energy generation through everyday movement, are just some of the innovative science, engineering, technology and maths (STEM) projects battling it out for coveted top prizes in the competition.

Selected from over 800 entrants, the young people will now go through a final round of judging and receive feedback from industry experts, before the winners of The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition 2026 are announced.

Awards on offer include The Big Bang UK Young Engineer (supported by Thales), The Big Bang UK Young Technologist (supported by Siemens), and The Big Bang UK Young Scientist of the Year. Winners of each category will receive a trophy plus £1,000 prize money.

Last year students from Liverpool Life Sciences UTC scooped the Junior Science Award and a student at Runshaw College won the Senior Science Award. A teacher at Eden Boys’ School, Preston received the EUK Education Teacher award.

Phillip McShane, Associate Director of Engagement Projects at EngineeringUK commented:

“It’s brilliant to see so many young people making the connections between their own creativity and how STEM can help solve real-world challenges. Once again, the standard of projects has been incredibly high. The environment, AI and health are project themes that continue to be popular as young people look to engineering and technology to provide solutions. This year we continue to see entrants using a greater mix of STEM skills to create their projects.”

James Mackay, Head of STEM in the UK at Thales, which has a major site in Cheadle, commented:

“Congratulations to all the young people who have entered The Big Bang Competition – your curiosity, creativity, and passion for discovering new possibilities are truly inspiring. At Thales, we’re proud to support The Competition for the first time, helping to nurture the next generation of engineers and innovators. I know myself and my colleagues have loved looking over and providing feedback for some of the submissions – it’s been wonderful to see such exciting ideas. Your ideas today have the power to shape a brighter tomorrow, and we encourage you to keep exploring, questioning, and believing in your potential.”