Huawei Ireland Winning STEM students travel to China for Global Competition

Huawei Ireland’s 2024 ‘Seeds for the Future’ winners start their visit to China to represent Ireland in the prestigious Seeds for the Future – Tech4Good global final.

Team Anaphero, comprising five students, Tiarnan O’Rourke, University College Dublin; Ciara O’Reilly, Dublin City University; Dylan Hussain, Technological University of Dublin; Luke O’Sullivan, University College Cork and Eoin Creavin, University College Dublin emerged as 2024 European Region champions in the 2024 edition of Seeds for the Future.

Their innovative project focused on developing a wearable device that instantly alerts parents and caregivers when a child shows early signs of anaphylactic shock. Utilising sensors to detect allergic reaction symptoms, the device leverages 5G network and AI models for real-time analysis and connectivity.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in Beijing, Ireland’s Ambassador to China, Dr. Nicholas O’Brien, said:

“I congratulate Team Anaphero from Ireland for their wonderful achievement on becoming the Huawei Tech4Good European regional champions and reaching the global final in Beijing. Tiarnan O’Rourke, Ciara O’Reilly, Dylan Hussain, Luke O’Sullivan and Eoin Creavin have developed a truly impressive wearable medical device, a symbol of the creativity and innovation of young Irish people. I wish Team Anaphero the best of luck in the competition, and I hope they have a stimulating and productive visit here in China”.

From April 7 to 10, the students will attend Tech4Ggood Accelerator Camp, which involves 10 hours of offline coaching and office-hour mentoring sessions following the coaching. They will also experience Chinese culture and explore digital development in China. On April 11, they will pitch their project live to judges. If they win global #TOP3 or the people’s selection award, their trip will be extended so that they can visit Hangzhou and Shanghai after being in Beijing and Shenzhen.

Team Anaphero student representative Ciara O’Reilly and Dublin City University student delivered remarks at the opening ceremony: “As we now look forward to the week ahead, we are filled with excitement – not only to explore a country rich in history and culture, but also to engage with some of the most advanced technological ecosystem in the world. We’re eager to learn, explore, and be inspired by what we experience here.”

In addition, Damian Gornik, alumna from the 2023 edition of Seeds, is selected as the ‘Seeds Ambassador’ in 2025. He will also be travelling to China, joining the journey of culture and technology exploration.

Seeds for the Future is Huawei’s globally recognised Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) flagship programme, the longest-running CSR initiative across the world. Third-level students studying STEM subjects or Leaving Certificate students considering a third-level course in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) are eligible to apply. The aim of the programme is to develop local talent, share knowledge, increase ICT sector awareness & enthusiasm, and foster digital community building.

Speaking about the Tech4Good global competition, Baolin Liang, PR Manager, Huawei Ireland, said:

“Since its inception in 2015, more than 280 students from Irish universities have benefited from the unique learning and culture experience of the European competition. The programmes that we are involved in – Seeds for the Future and TECH4GOOD – demonstrate our commitment to nurturing and developing today’s students to think about the future of our society.

We continue to invest in Ireland’s future ICT workforce, and we see this student opportunity as another way to help these students to enhance their capabilities as they continue their studies in STEM subjects. This year, for the Global competition, we are excited that we have such an inspiring team representing Ireland in an atmosphere of learning and development”.

For more information on Huawei’s Seeds for the Future and Tech4Good, please visit: https://www.huawei.com/minisite/seeds-for-the-future/tech4good.html