Justin Camilleri
Following the success of the 28th Brussels edition of the European Union Contest For Young Scientists last year, the next EUCYS will take place in Tallinn, Estonia between 22 and 27 September. With contestants from 38 countries and with 89 projects, the Tallinn edition promises to be the most innovative one yet in terms of scientific ideas in the fields of Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Engineering, the Environment, Materials, Mathematics, Medicine and Physics.
As in previous editions, during the Tallinn Contest a jury of leading scientists award the prizes based on originality and creativity, skill and thoroughness on how the scientific project has been carried out, reasoning and clarity in the results and top class presentation of the project.
Last year's winner Valerio Pagliarino from Italy won first prize in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) for his laser-based broadband internet connection prototype. A student of the I.I.S. Nicola Pellati School in Nizza Monferrato, Pagliarino received one of three €7 000 first prizes awarded to young scientists for outstanding projects. Pagliarino's research addressed how to get internet service to remote areas. His inspiration was the difficulty that many inhabitants face when trying to get online in the small town of Castelnuovo Calcea where he lives. He said "I have a terrible internet connection where I live and my proposed solution is to transmit data signals via lasers mounted on existing electrical transmission towers."
He added: "In Castelnuovo Calcea transmission towers already exist to carry power to remote areas over high-voltage wires. These would be strategically positioned to attach the laser equipment where each laser beam could carry up to 100 gigabits of data per second, which could easily provide internet service to a town such as Castelnuovo Calcea with a population of 600 people.
Having come first in EUCYS last September, the success of Valerio Pagliarino laser-based broadband internet connection prototype shows no signs of stopping as last May he won a $50,000 Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award.
The European Union Contest for Young Scientists began in 1989 with the aim of getting more young people involved in science and encouraging them to embark on a career in research. The competition standard is high as all participants must have previously won a competition for young scientists at a national level. Entries from individuals and teams of up to three people are allowed and the students must be aged between 14 and 20.
For more information on how to participate in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists, log on to: https://eucys2017.eu/