A haptic collar that allows deaf people to feel music and a device to help people with alcohol addiction detect cravings early have been revealed as the impressive winning ideas from Samsung’s fifth national UK Solve for Tomorrow Competition
The competition invites young people across the UK and Ireland to submit their tech ideas for a chance to win a £10,000 cash prize, expert mentoring and Samsung technology to help bring their innovations to life
508 young innovators entered the 2024/2025 competition, which offers young people the chance to design the future, exploring how tech can be used to solve problems that they care about from
LONDON, UK – 4 July – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced the winners of its fifth annual Solve for Tomorrow competition, which aims to uncover the most promising tech inventions from young people by asking 16-25 year olds to come up with ideas that help solve societal challenges.
The ideas showcased the passion young people have for future innovation and their drive to design a better world – exploring how technology can solve the issues they care about while tackling broader societal challenges. Nottingham based Eseose Okotako (23) of team Athena was announced as the winner in the 18-25 category with their impressive idea, a haptic collar that syncs with any audio to translate music into tailored vibrations, allowing deaf users to feel melody, rhythm and emotion.
Meanwhile, in the 16-18 category, Manchester based trio Daniel Aju (18), Harris Asif (18) and Nahom Ghirmay (18) of team Sanoband were announced in first place following their idea of a device that aims to help individuals with alcohol addiction by detecting cravings early, preventing relapse and supporting long-term recovery.
This year marked the first time the competition shortlisted 100 young people for workshops and mentoring stage, an increase from 24 to 49 teams in total, nearly doubling the number of participants. Samsung also supported every shortlisted young person with Samsung products.
Entries this year ranged from an assistive glove that replaces the lost dexterity within people with immobile hands, to an AI-driven breast health app that syncs with wearables to guide self-exams, track changes, and generate clinician-ready reports. An app, designed by team HeartAware that uses an AI-powered tool on your phone to detect heart risks, also received critical acclaim from the judges.
On top of this, team Zera, who designed a thermoelectric device to ease menopausal symptoms also won the People’s Choice Award – the best of the finalist submissions, which was voted on by over 2,000 people on Samsung’s social channels.
The 100 were shortlisted by a panel of Samsung experts and tech-for-good founders who reviewed submissions from 508 eligible applicants across the country, 49 teams took part in a programme of design thinking, market research and a newly introduced physical and digital prototyping workshop. Throughout the process, they also received mentoring, support and guidance from Samsung colleagues to help bring their ideas to life.
The programme follows statistics released that show nearly two-thirds (60%) of young people across the UK are considering a career in technology. Yet, 96% of respondents believe there are barriers to entering the industry and 65% feel their personal background impacts their ability to harness their creativity through tech.[1] The Solve for Tomorrow programme exists to prove that young people from all walks of life can come up with ideas that can make a difference in the world through the use of technology.
The existing partnerships between Samsung UK and organisations such as InnovateHer and the Social Mobility Foundation are essential to this mission, helping to reach and support young people who aren’t currently in education, employment or training.
The shortlisted ten teams were invited to Samsung’s head offices to showcase their ideas and formally pitch to a panel of Samsung experts and tech entrepreneurs. This was followed by the annual Solve for Tomorrow awards ceremony, where the winners were crowned.
Speaking about this year’s Solve for Tomorrow competition, Soohyun Jessie Park, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Samsung Electronics UK, said: “Solve for Tomorrow continues to empower young people to reflect on what truly matters to them whilst simultaneously channelling these passions into tangible action. It’s phenomenal to witness what young people are capable of even within the space of four months on the programme. Their commitment and passion is an inspiration and we’re so excited to support Eseose and team Sanoband to bring their ideas closer to the communities they care about.”
Eseose from team Athena, said: “It was an amazing experience being a part of this year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. You don’t need qualifications or a team to enter – just a great idea! The experience has been incredibly valuable and helped with my confidence, and I strongly encourage anyone who is interested to give it a go. I’m glad I did!”
More details on how to enter the next Solve for Tomorrow competition will be announced later this year.
For more information on Solve for Tomorrow visit: https://www.samsung.com/uk/solvefortomorrow/
[1] Consumer research was commissioned to 1,000 UK teenagers aged 13-19 between the 4th and 10th October 2024 by OnePoll. Onepoll are members of ESOMAR and comply with the ESOMAR guidelines for online research.