Congratulations to Our 2024 Grand Prize and First Place Winners!

NETrolyze, a novel immunotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), was named the $25,000 grand prize winner at a live finalist round held November 15 in New York. The first-in-class therapeutic injectable gel prevents the spread of TNBC, one of the most aggressive cancer types, enabling patients to avoid toxic chemotherapy and expensive treatments – potentially transforming their lives. Click here for the full list of 2024 winners. Also see the Top 100 highest scoring entries.

Help build a better tomorrow

Since Tech Briefs magazine launched the Create the Future Design contest in 2002 to recognize and reward engineering innovation, over 15,000 design ideas have been submitted by engineers, students, and entrepreneurs in more than 100 countries. Join the innovators who dared to dream big by entering your ideas today.

Read About Past Winners’ Success Stories

Special Report spotlights the eight top entries in 2023 as well as past winners whose ideas are now in the market, making a difference in the world.

Click here to read more

A ‘Create the Future’ Winner Featured on ‘Here’s an Idea’

Spinal cord injury affects 17,000 Americans and 700,000 people worldwide each year. A research team at NeuroPair, Inc. won the Grand Prize in the 2023 Create the Future Design Contest for a revolutionary approach to spinal cord repair. In this Here’s an Idea podcast episode, Dr. Johannes Dapprich, NeuroPair’s CEO and founder, discusses their groundbreaking approach that addresses a critical need in the medical field, offering a fast and minimally invasive solution to a long-standing problem.

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Thank you from our Sponsors

“At COMSOL, we are very excited to recognize innovators and their important work this year. We are grateful for the opportunity to support the Create the Future Design Contest, which is an excellent platform for designers to showcase their ideas and products in front of a worldwide audience. Best of luck to all participants!”

— Bernt Nilsson, Senior Vice President of Marketing, COMSOL, Inc.

“From our beginnings, Mouser has supported engineers, innovators and students. We are proud of our longstanding support for the Create the Future Design Contest and the many innovations it has inspired.”

— Kevin Hess, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Mouser Electronics

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2008 Category Winners

CONSUMER PRODUCTS CATEGORY

Universal Proprietary Water Purifying/Conditioning Multimedia for Bottled Water
Jim Jablonsky, J&M Associates, Hatfield, PA
Filter paper based on nanotechnology is inserted in the drinking cap of a bottle of water to inexpensively and easily remove heavy metals, arsenic, mercury, bad tastes, and odors.

MACHINERY/EQUIPMENT CATEGORY

Small Area Thin-Film Heat Flux Sensor
Mahmoud Assaad, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, OH
Novel sensor enables engineers to identify critical high-temperature zones within a tire structure to design safer tires for cars, trucks, and aircraft.

MEDICAL CATEGORY

Pediatric Vision Screener – Mark V
Kristina Irsch, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
The PVS simultaneously detects proper alignment and focus of infants’ eyes, enabling early detection of amblyopia or “lazy eye” – the leading cause of vision loss in childhood.

SAFETY & SECURITY CATEGORY

Electronic Fog, Frost, and Ice Prevention Technology
Don Skomsky, Integrity Engineering, Inc., West Chester, PA
Tested successfully on Mount Everest (mountain climbers’ goggles), this energy-efficient device predicts and prevents the formation of condensation, frost, and ice on any surface.

SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY CATEGORY

Efficient Air Conditioner
Lindsay Meek, Perth, Australia
Meek’s design reduces power consumption 30% by replacing the traditional reciprocating compressor with a permanent magnet motor coupled to a scroll compressor.

TRANSPORTATION CATEGORY

Movito Electric Scooter
Tai Chiem, Melbourne, Australia
Designed for traveling short distances in and around cities, this sleek, environmentally friendly scooter features an electric in-wheel motor.