The IET supports and organises many initiatives which benefits society. One of these new exciting initiatives is the Young Professionals Global Challenge competition, organised by the Young Professionals Community Committee (YPCC) in association with RedR UK, an international disaster relief charity which trains aid workers in the skills they need to respond to disasters effectively.


The challenge is designed to test the diverse academic, commercial and technical skills of young engineers and innovators worldwide, with the aim to encourage young professionals to collaborate as a team in order to develop innovative virtual solutions for real-world engineering problems.

Your brief

The task is to solve a major engineering problem faced by disaster relief teams working in the field. Humanitarian workers are heavily reliant on computer technology to communicate with head office and the outside world. Yet their standard issue laptops are simply not designed to operate in austere environmental conditions, which include extreme heat, dust and humidity.

The challenge is to create a low cost peripheral device that can actively cool down a laptop during periods of extended use in high ambient temperatures – so that aid can continue to be provided to those in desperate need.

So why enter and what’s in it for you?

Well you’ll get an all-expenses paid trip to attend the IET’s prestigious Innovation Awards ceremony in London in November 2015, giving you the chance to see your solution shown to a host of innovative companies. Plus each member of the team will receive an award of £250 cash, a certificate and trophy!

Why wait?


Find out more about the Global Challenge competition, get your team together, your thinking caps on and enter by 20 March 2015!