UTC Swindon students crowned runners-up in national Fujitsu competition

Three UTC Swindon Sixth Form students have come second in the national Fujitsu ‘Operation Innovation’ challenge, competing against over 60 colleges and schools nationwide.

After recently reaching the finals of the competition, the three students Ollie, Selwyn and Ethan had to present their idea to Fujitsu, ‘Dragon’s Den’ style. They had developed a programme that will help doctors and pharmacies to move quickly and accurately, dispensing medicines and saving taxpayers and the NHS critical time and money. 

Fujitsu were on the search for students to develop the next big thing, in order to solve a current challenge in society. It is a unique opportunity for teams to work together and create a bright spark of inspiration. 

Now in its third year, Fujitsu’s ‘Operation Innovation’ seeks to help close the gap between education and employment when it comes to digital skills.  

Following all finalists presenting, Fujitsu said: “To get to this stage, it meant that you have each created a completely unique innovation and have risen to the challenge to deliver a professional pitch to high-level tech industry experts.  

“This is a huge achievement, and not one that many of your peers will have yet experienced. Please give yourselves a massive pat on the back and recognise that you have accomplished something truly impressive.  

“In some cases, the scoring differentiated by only a very small percentage, which is a testament to the high-quality entries this year and the tough decisions the judges faced! You have all done yourselves incredibly proud as finalists.” 

Jon Oliver, UTC Swindon Principal, said: “This is an exceptional performance, and we are delighted in the quality of Ollie, Ethan and Selwyn’s planning and presentation of their ideas. 

“Working closely with global organisations such as Fujitsu, is inspiring for our students and fantastic preparation for securing high-quality employment at a time of extreme difficulty for young people.” 

Huge congratulations to our students for this fantastic achievement and to LDE UTC for winning first place.