Few people need convincing that the world requires a whole lot of fixing right now. Beyond the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, there are monumental times ahead, from climate change to broader societal challenges. It’s clear that our most likely saviour will be science. We’ve already witnessed vaccine innovation in a race against time, but parallel to this are the big, bold disruptive ideas being brought to life in our universities, hospitals, farms, and even back gardens.
In order to help catapult Irish innovation to the world stage, and effect change globally, Science Foundation Ireland have launched the Future Innovator Prize. With €4m available across two challenges – AI for Societal Good and Zero Emissions – this competition offers Irish science the money to match its ambition.
Science To The Rescue is an hour long documentary, presented by Trevor Vaugh (Big Life Fix),that gets up close and personal with some of the challenge teams trying to win the prize funds. As the clock ticks down, we learn about the motivation behind their work and meet some of those who will benefit from their breakthroughs.
From a chance discovery in the lab which could lead to Ireland’s first fully green battery, to a lifesaving blood test for the diagnosis of preeclampsia, a condition that affects one in ten women in pregnancy, it’s a tough ask for the international panel of judges. One of Ireland’s biggest carbon offenders, agriculture, is also tackled, as well as climate change adaptation in the developing world.
This unique insight is not just a reminder of the possibilities within STEM, it’s a celebration of our scientists.