This year, applications from 52 school teams in two age groups have been received for the Creative Intellectual competition organised by the Latvian Patent Office, the total number of participants having reached 150. The schools from Zemgale were the most active ones, having submitted 15 applications.
Other Latvian regions were also active: 10 applications were prepared by the schools from Vidzeme, 11 – from Latgale, 7 – from Riga and Pieriga, 6 – from Kurzeme. This year, the largest number of applications for the Creative Intellectual competition has been received from Jelgava Secondary School of Technology – 13, and 10 applications - from Jānis Eglītis Preiļi State Gymnasium. The total number of participants is 150, including 128 students and 22 teachers.
"We are really satisfied with such a great response - it proves that our younger generation is full of ideas and that school age people are already able to use their creative potential and challenge their peers. The jury panel certainly has a difficult job in front of them, evaluating all the applications and choosing the best in each school age group. Although not everyone will win the prizes, everyone is the winner, because I believe that the competition is a good motivation for these young people to go on and build a great career, and create original things," says Agris Batalauskis, Director of the Latvian Patent Office.
The competition aims at developing creativity and promoting students' understanding of the importance of intellectual and, in particular, industrial property in business, as well as at stimulating students' curiosity and interest in research, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
To participate in the competition, students have had to prepare two creative tasks on the topic of intellectual property. The jury will be working until November 8, and the announcement of the winners is planned for November 13. The awarding of the winners will take place on November 24 at the airBaltic Training Center.
In each of the groups, the 1st place winners will be awarded with wireless speakers; the 2nd place winners will receive wireless headphones; the 3rd place winners will get electric toothbrushes. The total prize fund is 3,000 euros.
The competition is being organized by the Latvian Patent Office in cooperation with the National Centre for Education, the Association of Latvian Patent Attorneys, the Latvian National Group of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), and Junior Achievement Latvia. Their representatives will constitute the panel that will evaluate the works submitted by the students.