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BD STEM Stars Final 2024 “Teaching AI to Recognise Bacterial Cultures” Miles Bueno (right), Cholaiste Chiarain Co. Limerick with Seán O'Sullivan also Coláiste Chiaráin, Co Limerick, the 2024 BT Young Scientist winner pictured at this year's BD STEM Stars event - the biggest schools' competition in Munster promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The event is run by BD, one of the world's largest med-tech companies, and held at the BD Research Centre Ireland in the National Technology Park, Limerick. Pic Arthur Ellis BD STEM Stars Final 2024 “Teaching AI to Recognise Bacterial Cultures” Miles Bueno (right), Cholaiste Chiarain Co. Limerick with Seán O'Sullivan also Coláiste Chiaráin, Co Limerick, the 2024 BT Young Scientist winner pictured at this year's BD STEM Stars event - the biggest schools' competition in Munster promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The event is run by BD, one of the world's largest med-tech companies, and held at the BD Research Centre Ireland in the National Technology Park, Limerick. Pic Arthur Ellis

Education

Desmond College take ‘Top Demo’ award at BD 2024 STEM Stars Competition

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BD 2024 STEM Stars Award Final 2024 “Teaching AI to Recognise Bacterial Cultures” pictured above are Miles Bueno (right), Cholaiste Chiarain Co. Limerick with Seán O’Sullivan also Coláiste Chiaráin, Co Limerick, the 2024 BT Young Scientist winner at this year’s BD STEM Stars event. Picture: Arthur Ellis

Limerick schools’ strong representation at BD 2024 STEM Stars promoting STEM at second level schools in Munster

BD STEM Stars Final 2024 “ VR in Enhancing the Assesment and Treatment of Mental Illness” Flourish Olushola, Cholaiste Nano Nagle, Limerick pictured at this year's BD STEM Stars event - the biggest schools' competition in Munster promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The event is run by BD, one of the world's largest med-tech companies, and held at the BD Research Centre Ireland in the National Technology Park, Limerick. Pic Arthur Ellis
“VR in Enhancing the Assesment and Treatment of Mental Illness” Flourish Olushola, Cholaiste Nano Nagle, Limerick. Picture: Arthur Ellis

The future of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in schools across Munster looks bright after 16 teams were selected for the final of the BD 2024 STEM Stars Award competition run by BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), one of the world’s leading med-tech companies.

Students and teachers were excited by this year’s entries at the competition, held at BD Research Centre Ireland (RCI) facility in Castletroy, Limerick.

While the laurels, including a top prize of €10,000 for STEM facilities in their school went to Kinsale Community College, last year’s champions, Desmond College, Newcastle West did not walk away empty handed as they took the ‘Best Live Demo’ award for their ‘SmartOtoscope’ project.


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The judges selected Desmond Community College for the Best Live Demo and both Coláiste Chiarain and Coláiste Nano Nagle, a previous winner got a lot of interest on the day.

“Lots of eyes were on the West Limerick school after last year’s success and they were in good company, with impressive innovation from schools across Munster, including fellow Limerick schools, Coláiste Chiarain and Coláiste Nano Nagle,” competition organizer and BD Enterprise Project Manager, Fionnagh Tsang said. “This is now a Munster wide competition, and we were delighted to see entries coming in from all over the province yet again, with Limerick schools featured very prominently. “

The BD 2024 STEM Stars Award, which is supported by the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB), is the biggest such awards programme in Munster. The competition was launched five years ago by BD, one of the world’s largest med-tech companies, to promote and encourage participation in STEM subjects for second level students. The brief given to students was to devise solutions that positively impact on and advance the world of healthcare.

In addition to the competition element itself, the students also received a tour of the BD high-tech RCI facility before the announcement of the winners by Senior Manager, Design Assurance Engineering at BD RCI Dr John Carey and presentation to the winners by Site Lead for the BD RCI, Seán Wall.

BD STEM Stars Final 2024 “ Oh the Irony !” Jade Colbert and Abbey McNamara, Cholaiste Nano Nagle Limerick pictured at this year's BD STEM Stars event - the biggest schools' competition in Munster promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The event is run by BD, one of the world's largest med-tech companies, and held at the BD Research Centre Ireland in the National Technology Park, Limerick. Pic Arthur Ellis
“Oh the Irony !” Jade Colbert and Abbey McNamara, Cholaiste Nano Nagle Limerick. Picture: Arthur Ellis

Mr Wall said, “This is a special day for all of us at BD and one we look forward to it with great excitement as we get to see the incredible pool of STEM talent that’s coming through in second level schools. We set out with this project five years ago to encourage awareness of the potential of STEM to improve the world of healthcare and to see where we have arrived at, with so many schools and incredible talent taking part, makes it a journey worthwhile.”

Donncha Ó Treasaigh, Director of Schools at Limerick and Clare ETB said: “The promotion of STEM among students is a very important objective of ours at the ETB and having one of the world’s leading med-tech companies weigh in with a competition like this is something that we are very privileged to have in the Munster area. There has been a huge response from the schools, and this is a competition we see going from strength to strength. I also want to complement the BD team on this as the scale and reach of the competition gets bigger and more exciting every year.”

BD RCI is a state-of-the-art facility adjacent to the University of Limerick campus that develops innovative technologies to improve biomedical discovery, clinical diagnosis of disease, and the delivery of care for patients and health care workers. It currently employs 370 experts in software development, software testing, systems engineering, mechanical and electronic engineering, project management, quality and biosciences including immunology. The diverse, collaborative team brings together people from 43 countries working in multidisciplinary teams to solve problems and advance the world of health.

To find out more about the BD STEM Stars programme and participants, visit BD

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