PA Raspberry Pi Awards 2023

Our annual PA Raspberry Pi Competition gives schoolchildren, aged 8 to 18, the tools and opportunity to invent products that will benefit society. The competition forms part of our ongoing commitment to encourage and expand access to skills and careers in STEM related fields.

In 2023, we challenged students to develop ingenious solutions in response to the theme: accelerating energy transition. Out of the over 200 innovative submissions by schools around the UK, 24 teams reached the finals (doubling the number from 2022). Design submissions included: software that gamifies the home energy-saving process; a machine-learning algorithm to select EV charging locations; and a small-scale Aquaponics system (complete with live fish!).

To build engagement, our in-house design team created an animation showing energy transition in action for a high-tech community of albatrosses! This was shared on social channels to spark ideas and encourage entrants. We also offered a Webinar for further guidance.

The competition reached its culmination with teams showcasing their inventions at our in-person ‘PAPi’ Awards Day.
• Speed networking sessions gave the young people opportunities to receive support and inspiration from our judging panel of 29 VIP industry leaders and technology experts from organizations such as Coca-Cola, Rolls-Royce, and the Royal Navy.
• Our design team devised and constructed a ‘Race to Ingenuity’ pinewood derby activity. Students built their own unpowered, mini cars and raced them to win medals and an overall trophy.
• We re-skinned 10 of last year’s fully sustainable stands to act as large format signage. And each category had branded t-shirts, name badges, individual certificates, and team posters to display their work.

The day ended in an Awards ceremony hosted by Fran Scott; a science presenter best known for her work on CBBC's Absolute Genius.
• We added an Inspiration Award to recognise endeavour, achievement, and great teamwork in the face of adversity. This allowed us to celebrate a wider range of entrants.
• Our custom PAPi-character trophies were the cherry on top — produced on PA’s newest 3D printer.

It was a smashing success!