Mayo student wins coveted prize at BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp

Dana Carney, third year student at Mount Saint Michael, Mayo, was named as part of the ‘Best Group’ at the 2025 BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp for their project, ‘TactAI’.

The project was originally developed as an entry into the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) 2025, and aims to replace human dependency and incorporate machine learning in specific situations using humanoid AI.

This hardwire sensored robot can significantly reduce the number of injuries and fatalities in place of underwater divers who can work in challenging and dangerous environments.

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Members of the winning group also included Conor O’Neill, fifth year student at The Institute of Education, Dublin, Orla Buttimer, fourth year student at Mercy Secondary School Mounthawk, Kerry, and Toomas Donohoe, fourth year student at Athlone Community College, Westmeath.

Ashlee Keogh, sixth year student at Tallaght Community School, Dublin, was named the overall winner at the 2025 BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp for her project, ‘MagClean’, which examines the development of an eco-friendly solution to managing and cleaning oil spills, using magnetic nanoparticles with biodegradable materials to prevent harm to the environment.

The BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp has been an extremely successful initiative since it was first introduced by BT Ireland under its custodianship of the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (YSTE).

Thirty students from seventeen schools in twelve counties across the island of Ireland were selected to participate at this year’s four-day bootcamp in Nova UCD.

At the Bootcamp, students attended workshops on business development, marketing and commercialisation, and had the opportunity to hear and learn from BTYSTE alumni who have launched successful enterprises. On the final day, the students pitched their project to expert panel of judges.

Judges this year included Shay Walsh, Managing Director of BT Ireland, Dr Tony Scott, co-founder of the BTYSTE, Anne-Marie Turley, Head of Fintech, Finance & Cybersecurity at Enterprise Ireland, and Brian O’Donovan, Work and Technology Correspondent at RTÉ.

Following BT Ireland’s recent announcement that it is stepping down as organiser and sponsor of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE), this year’s Bootcamp is the last being delivered by the organisation.

Shay Walsh, Managing Director of BT Ireland, said: “We are very proud to have developed and hosted the BT Business Bootcamp for the past 16 years. It has been a significant part of our efforts to drive innovation in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sectors. The Bootcamp provides BTYSTE finalists with further insight into pursuing a career in STEM. Business Bootcamp equips finalists at the exhibition with the skills and insights to encourage them to turn their projects into commercial enterprises."

We wish all these students the best in their future endeavours. With this being the final Bootcamp delivered by BT Ireland, we are hugely thankful to all those who have been involved, and to the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition Board for allowing us to be such an integral part of exhibition for quarter of a century."

Pat Guiry, UCD Professor of Organic Chemistry and Chair of the Young Scientist Charitable Trust, added: “We are thrilled to host the 16th BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp at Nova UCD. Bootcamp which was developed by BT Ireland is just one of the initiatives that was developed during their custodianship of the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (YSTE). While today is a joyful occasion, it is also bittersweet as we conclude YSTE’s journey with BT but the organisation’s legacy will endure.”

Since the BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp began, several participants have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs, including Protex AI, betterexaminations.ie, and Evervault.

For more information on the BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp, please visit www.btyoungscientist.com or follow @BTYSTE on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, or Snapchat (username BTYSTE).