A record number of schools have entered the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition for 2010, expressing a growing interest in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

A total of 1,588 projects from 329 schools in the 32 counties have been submitted for the upcoming exhibition in January at the RDS in Ballsbridge. This year, 520 projects will compete in the finals.

Projects are entered in all four categories. With 198 in Technology, 303 in Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences, 534 in Biological & Ecological Sciences, and 553 in Social & Behavioural Sciences. The majority of entrants, 57%, are girls, and 43% are boys. About 80% are group entries and 20% are individual entries.

Chris Clark, CEO, BT said, “Our focus is on continually evolving this fantastic exhibition, and we’re delighted that more schools than ever have responded positively and entered for 2010. This showcase of young talent is surpassed by none and the commercial successes of some of our past winners prove it is a real stepping stone for Ireland’s next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. We’re now looking forward to seeing the big ideas and inventions that will be on show at the RDS in January.”

BT also recently launched the Business of Science & Technology, a new programme that will give students the business knowledge they need to turn their innovative ideas into commercial opportunities.

Forty students will be selected at the exhibition and mentored by leading executives from BT, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Bombardier, Bord Gáis Éireann, IP Innovations, UCD, TCD, Engineers Ireland and Bank of Ireland on subjects such as protecting intellectual capital, global marketing and international business.

The programme is designed to bridge the gap between education and business, and to support Ireland’s ambition to be a smart economy.

The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD, said: “The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, which my Department continues to support, is a unique platform for secondary school students to showcase their talents and imaginations. As Minister, I want to promote science, technology, engineering and maths at all levels of our education system as part of the Government’s efforts to build the ‘smart’ innovation-based society in our economic recovery project.”

The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2010 will take place in the Main Hall, RDS, Dublin 4 from 12th to 16th January 2010. Doors will be open to the public from Thursday, 14th to Saturday, 16th January. For more information on the exhibition please visit www.btyoungscientist.com or call 1800 924 362.