During British Science Week, Minister George Freeman met Innovate UK’s Young Innovators to find out how they are turning STEM ideas into innovative businesses.
To celebrate British Science Week, the Science Minister met a diverse range of UK young innovators.
The Minister found out more about how their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is driving their innovative businesses.
These businesses are helping to inspire more young people into STEM subjects.
Inspiring young people into STEM
Seyed Nasrollahi, a Young Innovator award winner, explained to the Minister how he has combined his three passions, physics, gaming, and machine learning, to develop a videogame, UnifiQ.
UnifiQ provides an interactive, fun, immersive environment to get young people switched on to STEM learning and help address the STEM skills shortage in the UK.
Players use engineering and physics skills to design and build virtual vehicles and machines, mixing metals to create new alloys that enhance the builds.
Entrepreneurial journey
Seyed Nasrollahi, Founder and CEO at UnifiQ Games, said:
Mid-way through my PhD I realised I wanted to have real societal impact beyond research and decided to embark on my entrepreneurial journey.
With support from the Innovate UK Young Innovator award, I am turning my business idea into reality to help make STEM subjects more accessible to young people.
The Minister asked Seyed what advice he would give to young people looking to get into STEM careers, to which he replied:
My advice to other young people is to follow your passion no matter what, for me it was physics, and don’t let other people or factors get in your way of pursuing what you love.
Science and innovation careers
The Minister and Seyed joined other UK young innovators for a roundtable.
They discussed how the UK can strengthen its position as a science superpower and an innovation nation, to boost growth and improve lives and livelihoods across the country.
Science and innovation are key drivers of new careers opportunities for young people everywhere.
Inspiring the next generation
Minister George Freeman said:
This is a hugely exciting time to be a scientist and innovator in the UK.
I want to boost the dialogue between scientists, industry, and young people, to inspire the next generation of world class British scientists and innovators across the UK.
Science is about free thought, free thinking, free expression and diversity of ideas, so it was fantastic to hear the diversity of thinking and innovative ideas from our UK young innovators.
Innovative talent, skills, and potential
Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK, said:
The UK has some excellent innovative talent, skills, and potential, and we must be inclusive and determined to give this great potential a chance to succeed.
The Innovate UK Young Innovators programme is a great example of this, and we are proud to have helped so many talented innovators.
Innovate UK’s mission is to inspire diverse innovators, to involve partners in our work and to invest in innovation for economic growth and a better society.
Video credit: Innovate UK.
On-screen captions and an auto generated transcript is available on YouTube.
Further information
About Young Innovators
As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Innovate UK wants to give inspiring young entrepreneurs the opportunity to take their business idea to the next level through its Young Innovators programme.
The programme aims to help build a more inclusive, accessible business landscape, whilst ensuring that every part of the country can power our collective success.
It encourages and enables entrepreneurship and innovation among more young people and brings new diverse ideas, passion, and expertise into the innovation ecosystem.
Top image: Science Minister George Freeman talking to one of Innovate UK's Young Innovators (credit: UKRI).