Students Present Innovative STEM Projects at The Merck Annual School Sciences Competition

Merck, a leading global science and technology company, hosted the latest edition of their Annual School Sciences Competition at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Little Island last Friday, 9th May. 

The competition, now in its 21st year, offered students from seven local secondary schools an opportunity to shine a light on their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) expertise and ingenuity in a rewarding, exciting and fun environment. The competition encouraged students to explore scientific concepts and develop practical solutions through innovative science projects, which they then presented to an expert panel of judges from both industry and academia. 

Through this competition, Merck aims to inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators, cultivate interest in STEM and encourage students to explore future careers in these critically important fields. A number of talks were also given at the event by Merck employees, giving students a perspective on what a career in STEM entails and offering them insight into Merck’s work at the forefront of STEM innovation.

Teams of students from St Mary’s High School Midleton, St. Aloysius’ College Carrigtwohill, Scoil Mhuire gan Smál Blarney, Midleton CBS, Colaiste Fionnchua Mitchelstown, Loreto Secondary School Fermoy and Midleton College participated in this year’s Merck Schools Science Competition. 

Mark Dunphy, Site Director and Head of Cork Operations at Merck said: “At Merck, we firmly believe in the power of STEM education to shape the future. By offering students the opportunity to practically apply their scientific knowledge, this competition is instrumental in sparking an interest in STEM careers and nurturing those who will spearhead the scientific breakthroughs of the future”.The winners of this year’s competition are Clodagh Hayes and Grainne Dineen from Loreto College Fermoy, for their project “Creating Eco-friendly seaweed-based packaging for Beef products”. They said: “We are incredibly honoured to be chosen as the winners of this year’s Merck Schools Science Competition. Taking part in this competition has been really engaging and opened our eyes to the exciting possibilities within the STEM fields. I want to thank our school and Merck for providing this amazing opportunity, for guiding us along the way, and allowing us to explore our curiosity.”