The James Dyson Award has officially opened submissions for its 2026 edition, inviting the next generation of inventors to present design and engineering solutions that tackle real-world problems. This year’s competition also marks a significant milestone, 20 years of the award in Singapore, highlighting two decades of local innovation and creativity.
Established by British inventor James Dyson, the global competition has supported more than 400 inventions since its inception. It is open to current and recent design and engineering students across 28 countries and regions, offering a platform to transform promising ideas into impactful solutions.
Two Decades of Singapore Innovation
Since its launch in Singapore in 2006, the award has helped budding inventors gain media exposure, international recognition, and prize funding to accelerate their concepts toward commercialization.
Over the years, Singapore has consistently contributed strong entries to the competition’s global innovation landscape. Many local projects have progressed beyond the national stage, making it into the Global Top 20 shortlist thanks to their technical ingenuity, human-centered design, and problem-solving approach.
Notably, two Singapore inventions have gone on to win the global title, demonstrating the country’s growing influence in design engineering.
Singapore’s Global Winners
airXeed Radiosonde – 2024 Global Sustainability Winner
Developed by Shane and Danial from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, airXeed Radiosonde addresses the environmental impact of traditional single-use weather monitoring devices.
Inspired by the autorotation of falling maple seeds, the reusable radiosonde is designed to reduce electronic waste from conventional weather balloons. Since winning the award, the team has continued conducting high-altitude testing while collaborating with industry partners to refine the technology.
HOPES – 2021 Global Winner
A team from the National University of Singapore created HOPES, a wearable biomedical device designed to enable pain-free and low-cost at-home intra-ocular pressure (IOP) testing.
The project was inspired by inventor Kelu’s father’s diagnosis of Glaucoma, which motivated the team to develop a less invasive and more accessible method for eye pressure monitoring. Since its win, the team has completed initial clinical trials and continues refining the device through pilot studies.
Promising Singapore Innovation
Beyond global winners, Singapore has also produced numerous finalists recognized at the international level.
One recent example is Mammosense, developed by Luke Goh from the National University of Singapore. Named the 2024 Singapore National Winner and Global Top 20 finalist, the device analyzes breast tissue to determine the optimal compression force during mammograms, improving patient comfort and potentially encouraging more women to participate in breast cancer screenings.
The invention was inspired by the developer’s mother, who experienced discomfort during a mammogram procedure.
How to Enter the 2026 Award
Submissions for the 2026 James Dyson Award are now open via the official competition website. The deadline for entries is 15 July 2026 at midnight.
Eligible applicants include university students and recent graduates in design or engineering disciplines. Successful projects typically identify a clear global challenge and demonstrate innovative thinking, technical feasibility, and a well-developed design process.
Entries will first be evaluated by national judging panels of design and engineering experts, including engineers from Dyson.
National winners will receive S$8,620 and advance to the global stage. From there, James Dyson will personally select the global winners, who will each receive S$51,700, along with global exposure and support to bring their inventions closer to market.
