Festival of Design and Innovation returns for 2014

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Bournemouth University’s (BU) Festival of Design and Innovation returns in 2014 to celebrate the creativity of designs and prototypes created by students.

The annual Festival, which takes place from 20-23 June 2014, is an exhibition of final year projects by Design, Engineering and Creative Technology students. Students are encouraged to create designs and prototypes of their inventions and creations for display during the Festival.

This year, displays include a tunnel boring machine for laying cable, an atmospheric respirator, a trailer for use with hovercrafts and a product for treating jaundice in babies.

Students are encouraged to think about market need, function, engineering, sustainability and style when creating their product – to come up with something that is instantly usable and marketable to a wide audience.

Professor Jim Roach, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, said, “The Festival of Design and Innovation is where education meets industry and commerce, providing a showcase for our students’ skills in design and innovation.

“We take great pride in the quality of the project work and the ability of our students to employ the latest technology in the design of solutions to real problems. Many of the projects are the direct result of industrial collaboration, a successful placement year or are linked to one of our research centres. It is great to see our students working on a huge range of exciting, innovative and creative projects.”

Admission to the Festival is free and members of the public are encouraged to come along and have a look at the displays, engage with the student inventors and enjoy their work. Free tickets can be gained through the Festival’s website, where you will also find more information about some of the projects being displayed this year.

Previous Festival designs have gone on to be mass produced and sold in the UK – one such example is the Quick-Pitch pop-up tent, often called the ‘Festival tent’ for its ease of use, which was originally picked up by camping brand Gelert at the Festival of Design and Innovation.

The Festival takes place on Friday 20 June, Saturday 21 June and Monday 23 June, opening at 10am and closing at 4pm.