James Dyson Award 2025 Seeks Innovative Student Inventions

The James Dyson Award, an international design and engineering competition for students, is now open for submissions to its 2025 program in 28 countries and regions.

The award invites current and recent students to submit problem-solving inventions that address everyday challenges or tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues.

Established in 2005, the James Dyson Award has supported more than 400 student inventions, awarding over PHP70 million in prize money and offering a global platform to showcase ideas.

Global winners selected by Sir James Dyson will receive PHP2.168 million and the opportunity for international media exposure, providing a springboard to commercialize their inventions.

RAMUN (Resistivity Acquisition and Monitoring of the Underground), a real-time underground monitoring system, is helping cities tackle flooding, subsidence, and groundwater mismanagement. Invented by Joseph Aristotle De Leon, a Manufacturing Engineering student at De La Salle University-Manila, RAMUN provides non-invasive, flexible monitoring designed for urban environments. Since being named the 2024 Philippine National Winner, De Leon has been refining RAMUN for real-world applications, with the ambition to deploy it in cities worldwide, empowering communities with deeper insights into the unseen world beneath their feet.

Make-roscope, a portable keychain microscope, is making science more accessible for students without access to laboratory equipment. Invented in 2023 by Jeremy De Leon, an engineering student at Mapúa, it transforms any smartphone or tablet into a microscope, magnifying objects up to 125 times with a single lens. Made from durable, food-grade silicone, its flexible arms ensure clear imaging without complex adjustments. After being recognized as part of the 2023 James Dyson Award International Top 20, Make-roscope continues to expand its reach, bringing hands-on scientific exploration to students worldwide.

Brakong, a lightweight and breathable external breast prosthesis, is redefining comfort for breast cancer survivors. Made from bakong, an aquatic plant with natural antimicrobial properties, it helps keep the prosthesis clean and fresh while minimizing weight for all-day wear. Its bio-based design promotes circular sustainability, reducing waste by allowing it to be cycled back into the economy. Using 3D scanning technology, Brakong is customized to match each wearer’s chest contours for a perfect fit. Invented by Emmanuelle Pangilinan and Jason Pechardo of the University of the Philippines – Diliman, Brakong was recognized as part of the 2022 James Dyson Award International Top 20 and continues to advance sustainable prosthetic innovation.

Sir James Dyson, Founder of Dyson, said: “I started the James Dyson Award 20 years ago with the mission to inspire and support the next generation of design engineers. The brilliant ideas we’ve seen since then prove that young people are passionate about providing solutions to the world’s most pressing problems, using design, engineering and technology – in medicine, the environment and much more. I look forward to discovering what inventions will be put forward this year – good luck!”

The deadline to apply is midnight on 16^th July 2025. Shortlisted entries in each participating country or region will then be evaluated by national judging panels with expertise across design and engineering, based on functionality, design process, differentiation, and commercial viability.

The National Winners, selected by these judging panels and each winning PHP 361,300 prize, will be announced on 10^th September, the Global Top 20 Shortlist, selected by Dyson Engineers, on 15^th October, and the Global Winners, selected by James Dyson, on 5^th November.