James King, a student at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and a native of Carrigaline, Co. Cork, has won first prize in the Engineers Ireland Level 8 Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Awards 2014, sponsored by Siemens. The presentation took place in Engineers Ireland HQ, Clyde Road on 6 June.  Ruairi McGee, Anthony Mannion, Gary Lyons and Niall McHale – a group of students from IT Sligo – won the Level 7 category. Entitled ‘Drone Compatible Medical Transportation Pod’, King’s project charts the conception and development of a transportation pod, christened ‘Medi-Pod’. The unique pod is designed to deliver critical medical supplies, such as blood and organs, over large distances and to remote, inaccessible and possibly war-torn areas via aerial drone. There is currently no device like this on the market. “Engineering is not only at the heart of our day-to-day lives, but it’s clear to see from the diverse range of projects entered this year that engineers play a vital role in many existing and developing industries in Ireland – from agriculture and automotive to technology and biomedical,” said John Power, chartered engineer and director general of Engineers Ireland, who congratulated the finalists. “Of the numerous job announcements over the past 12 months, many of these have been engineering opportunities. While there’s an increase in the number of students opting for engineering at third level, we still need more students choosing from the wide variety of engineering courses available to fulfil the employment needs of industry now and in the future.” He added that all entrants were an example of the ingenuity and talent that existed in Ireland today. The Level 7 category winner, designed by IT Sligo students Ruairi McGee, Anthony Mannion, Gary Lyons and Niall McHale, was entitled ‘Willow Harvester Prototype’. This project involved the design, fabrication, testing and analysis of a new prototype device for whole stem willow harvesting. The students’ concept results in a more efficient and low-cost process to harvesting willow as a renewable energy source. Aiden Cawley of Siemens said the 2014 entries again showed students’ ability to develop innovative solutions to challenges faced by industry and people in everyday society. “From health projects that explore improvements in breast cancer screening and transporting organs to war torn locations to innovations in farming equipment and the brewing process, this year’s entries exemplify original thinking, practical solutions and excellent technical competence,” he added. Run by Engineers Ireland and sponsored by Siemens, the Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Awards aims to promote and showcase excellence in engineering degrees across Ireland. Final-year students of Level 8 and Level 7 engineering degree programmes, accredited by Engineers Ireland, are eligible to enter and the competition is judged on the merit of final year projects. The winners receive an Engineers Ireland Excellence Award trophy and the title of ‘2014 Innovative Student of the Year’, as well as €1,500 prize money. Other students who reached the Level 8 finals included Niall O’Murchú (Dublin Institute of Technology), Oisin Moore (NUI Galway) and Brian Hand (CIT). In the Level 7 category, David Coleman, Ciarán Duffy, David Acheson and Niall Hunt (CIT) and Patrick Walsh, Mark O’Flynn and Shane O’Gorman (IT Sligo) were shortlisted.