This year, the theme for World IP Day 2022 is IP and Youth: innovating for a better future. Young people today offer new perspectives, curiosity and creativity in driving and shaping innovative ideas for the future. And what better way to celebrate World IP Day than taking a look at students who are driving the future of Australian innovation!
Each year, the SHAPE exhibition showcases the best major projects undertaken by NSW students for the Design and Technology, Industrial Technology, and Textiles and Design HSC courses.
Spruson and Ferguson Australia is a proud sponsor of the Spruson and Ferguson IP Award for the SHAPE Exhibition, awarded to the student whose project embodies high potential for obtaining registered intellectual property protection and for achieving commercial success.
In the Design and Technology course, students undertake a Major Design Project which requires them to identify and explore an issue or need and design an innovative solution. Students undertake a review of existing products and their shortfalls, conceptualise possible solutions, and perform an iterative trial and development process.
“The process that these students follow over the year is a process that I see everyday innovators and inventors follow in order to bring a new product to market,” says patent attorney, Alana Gibson, who judges the Spruson and Ferguson IP Award. “Every year, I am always in awe of the quality of work and innovation on display in this exhibition, and am confident that the future of design and innovation in Australia is in good hands.”
This year’s winner of the Spruson and Ferguson IP award was Tahlia Gibson, from St John Bosco College, for her product Organigo.
Organigo embodies the spirit of young people toward innovating for a better future. Tahlia used her love of chemistry to develop an all-natural electrolyte drink to aid sports performance and recovery, creating a safer, healthier option to popular sports drinks which can have dangerously high levels of sugar and caffeine. Tahlia showed an extremely thorough research and development stage in creating a real and viable product. Tahlia gave thorough consideration to intellectual property options, and has secured a trade mark registration for her brand in Australia. She also paid detailed attention to the commercial aspects of the product, developing creative and eye-catching packaging, branding and marketing.
Students are encouraged to research and identify possible intellectual property rights as they develop their inventions, and it is wonderful to see so many young people taking opportunities to find out how intellectual property rights can support their innovative ideas for a better future.
Spruson and Ferguson encourages everyone to visit the SHAPE exhibition, which is on display at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum until August 2022.