Samsung Electronics UK has revealed the winners of its fifth annual Solve for Tomorrow competition, celebrating young innovators who developed breakthrough tech including a haptic collar that enables deaf individuals to experience music through vibrations and a device to detect alcohol cravings, highlighting a surge in youth-led solutions for social challenges.
Samsung Electronics UK has announced the winners of its fifth annual Solve for Tomorrow competition, highlighting innovative tech solutions developed by young people aimed at addressing societal challenges. The 2024/2025 competition attracted 508 entrants from across the UK and Ireland, all aged 16 to 25, who submitted ideas designed to make a positive impact through technology. The competition awarded a £10,000 cash prize, expert mentoring, and Samsung technology to help turn the winning concepts into reality.
The standout winner in the 18-25 category was Eseose Okotako from Nottingham, leading team Athena with her invention of a haptic collar. This wearable device uniquely converts music into tailored vibrations, allowing deaf individuals to experience rhythm, melody, and emotional nuances through touch. The innovation exemplifies how technology can foster greater inclusivity by transforming how people engage with the world around them.
In the 16-18 category, the winning project came from team Sanoband, consisting of Daniel Aju, Harris Asif, and Nahom Ghirmay from Manchester. Their device aims to aid people struggling with alcohol addiction by detecting early cravings, helping prevent relapse and supporting sustained recovery. This solution reflects the competition’s broader focus on health and wellbeing, as well as the drive among young innovators to tackle complex personal and social issues.
This year saw a significant expansion in participation and support, with 100 young innovators shortlisted for workshops and mentoring—more than double the number from previous years. These workshops included sessions on design thinking, market research, and physical and digital prototyping, equipping participants with valuable skills. Samsung further supported all shortlisted entrants with company products to assist in developing their ideas.
The breadth of submissions demonstrated the diverse range of challenges young people are passionate about. Examples include assistive gloves to aid those with impaired hand mobility, AI-driven health apps for breast self-examination, and AI tools to assess heart-related risks. Another notable project, team Zera’s thermoelectric device to alleviate menopausal symptoms, won the People’s Choice Award after being voted the best among finalists by over 2,000 people on Samsung’s social media platforms.
This competition ties into wider research showing that nearly two-thirds of UK youth are considering careers in technology, though most perceive barriers to entry and feel their backgrounds limit their creative potential in the field. Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow aims to counter these challenges by reaching out to young people from diverse backgrounds, including those not currently in education or employment, through partnerships with organisations such as InnovateHer and the Social Mobility Foundation.
The finalists presented their ideas at Samsung’s UK headquarters before a panel of experts and entrepreneurs, culminating in an awards ceremony where the winners were announced. Soohyun Jessie Park, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Samsung UK, praised the programme’s ability to channel young people’s passions into real-world impact, emphasising the inspiring commitment shown by participants during the four-month process.
Eseose Okotako expressed her enthusiasm for the competition, noting that it requires no formal qualifications or team to enter—just a great idea. She highlighted how the experience boosted her confidence and encouraged others to participate. Plans to open entries for the next iteration of Solve for Tomorrow will be revealed later this year, continuing Samsung’s mission to empower the next generation of innovators to create technology that addresses real-world problems.
Samsung’s commitment to nurturing young talent and supporting technological innovation aligned with social good underscores the vital role of youth voices in shaping the future. Previous winners of the competition have tackled issues ranging from sustainable energy to community inclusion, illustrating the ongoing effort to inspire students to become proactive problem solvers through creative tech solutions.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://news.samsung.com/uk/deaf-people-can-now-feel-music-as-future-of-innovation-unveiled-at-samsung-solve-for-tomorrow-competition – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://news.samsung.com/uk/deaf-people-can-now-feel-music-as-future-of-innovation-unveiled-at-samsung-solve-for-tomorrow-competition – Samsung’s fifth annual UK ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ competition unveiled innovative solutions, including a haptic collar that enables deaf individuals to experience music through tailored vibrations, and a device designed to help people with alcohol addiction detect cravings early, preventing relapse and supporting long-term recovery. The competition saw 508 young innovators across the UK and Ireland submit tech ideas addressing societal challenges, with winners receiving £10,000, expert mentoring, and Samsung technology to bring their innovations to life.
- https://www.samsung.com/uk/solvefortomorrow/competition/ – Samsung UK’s ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ competition empowers young innovators to tackle real-world issues through technology. Previous winners include Optimum, who developed an AI system to schedule smart device charging with renewable energy, and Treeva, who created a device generating energy from passing vehicles to provide affordable and sustainable power. The competition aims to inspire students to become tomorrow’s problem solvers by addressing challenges such as environmental sustainability and community inclusion.
- https://www.samsung.com/uk/solvefortomorrow/competition/ – Samsung UK’s ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ competition empowers young innovators to tackle real-world issues through technology. Previous winners include Optimum, who developed an AI system to schedule smart device charging with renewable energy, and Treeva, who created a device generating energy from passing vehicles to provide affordable and sustainable power. The competition aims to inspire students to become tomorrow’s problem solvers by addressing challenges such as environmental sustainability and community inclusion.
- https://www.samsung.com/uk/solvefortomorrow/competition/ – Samsung UK’s ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ competition empowers young innovators to tackle real-world issues through technology. Previous winners include Optimum, who developed an AI system to schedule smart device charging with renewable energy, and Treeva, who created a device generating energy from passing vehicles to provide affordable and sustainable power. The competition aims to inspire students to become tomorrow’s problem solvers by addressing challenges such as environmental sustainability and community inclusion.
- https://www.samsung.com/uk/solvefortomorrow/competition/ – Samsung UK’s ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ competition empowers young innovators to tackle real-world issues through technology. Previous winners include Optimum, who developed an AI system to schedule smart device charging with renewable energy, and Treeva, who created a device generating energy from passing vehicles to provide affordable and sustainable power. The competition aims to inspire students to become tomorrow’s problem solvers by addressing challenges such as environmental sustainability and community inclusion.
- https://www.samsung.com/uk/solvefortomorrow/competition/ – Samsung UK’s ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ competition empowers young innovators to tackle real-world issues through technology. Previous winners include Optimum, who developed an AI system to schedule smart device charging with renewable energy, and Treeva, who created a device generating energy from passing vehicles to provide affordable and sustainable power. The competition aims to inspire students to become tomorrow’s problem solvers by addressing challenges such as environmental sustainability and community inclusion.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
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warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is fresh, published on July 4, 2025, with no prior appearances found. The content is original and not recycled. The press release nature of the report typically warrants a high freshness score. 
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
No direct quotes are present in the narrative, indicating original content.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from Samsung’s official UK Newsroom, a reputable source. The information aligns with Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition details. 
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims are plausible and consistent with known facts about Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition. The narrative includes specific details about the winners and their projects, which are verifiable.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, original, and sourced from a reputable organisation. It presents plausible and verifiable information about the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, with no signs of disinformation.
