The University of Aberdeen announces the successful conclusion of the 2026 Lightbulb Ideas Competition, an annual initiative that champions student innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.
The competition brought together students and recent graduates from diverse disciplines, guiding them step by step from ideation, generating ideas to pitching and presenting them.
This year’s competition, organised by ABVentures, the University’s student entrepreneurship service, was held over four consecutive Wednesdays (18th and 25th February, 4th and 11th March), and saw strong engagement from the student community with more than 100 participants.
The programme kicked off with two interactive design thinking workshops, where participants learned how to frame real-world problems and generate creative solutions. This was followed by a pitching round in which 40 student teams presented ideas addressing challenges in areas including sustainability, health, technology, and community impact. The culminating finale took place at the Sir Duncan Rice Library on 11th March, where five finalist teams presented their ideas to a panel of expert judges.
The finale judging panel included Dr Prashant Jadhawar, Lecturer and Enterprise & Innovation Champion, School of Engineering; Luci Carey, Lecturer in Law and Founder, Inglaze Ltd; Richard Cormack Corrigan, Enterprise Executive, Converge; Peter Henderson, Founder and Director of Scottish technology company Pisys; and Ian Phillips, the University’s Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence for the School of Engineering.
For the second year, generous funding from the Engineers & Scientists in Business Fellowship (ESBF) has positively impacted engagement from Engineering and Science students.
“Funding from the Engineers & Scientists in Business Fellowship allows our students to explore ideas with confidence, take creative risks, and experience the real-world process of turning an idea into a tangible outcome,” said Ann Lewendon, Head of Enterprise and Innovation.
Our 2026 Winners
1st Prize (£1,600, sponsored by Engineers & Scientists in Business Fellowship)
DermaSetu AI – Arvind Sudhakar Badgujar, Muhammad Abu Bakar Akram, Aryan Batheja, Liliyana Kalinova
2nd Prize (£800, sponsored by Engineers & Scientists in Business Fellowship)
CoFound – Jatin Ayush Kumar, Benjamin Mackenzie
3rd Prize (£400, sponsored by Engineers & Scientists in Business Fellowship)
ZoneGuard AI – Arik Subedi
4th Prize (£200, sponsored by Engineers & Scientists in Business Fellowship)
FreightScanner – Allegala Maruthi Yadav, Abhirami Manoj
5th Prize (£100)
Malle – Sofia Goedderz
Ijeoma Laila Obiagwu, Enterprise Executive, said: “Organising the Lightbulb Ideas Competition is always a highlight of my year. Seeing the quality of ideas and the depth of entrepreneurial thinking shown by our students throughout the four days makes all the hard work worth it.
“For many, Lightbulb was their first experience pitching an idea and they rose brilliantly to the challenge. Taking part in something completely new encourages students to think creatively, step outside their comfort zone, and develop skills like communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and resilience that directly enhance their employability.”
Dr Heather May Morgan, Vice Principal Regional Engagement and Innovation, added: “Entrepreneurship, when effectively supported, has the potential to drive significant economic prosperity. At the University of Aberdeen, we remain committed to nurturing student enterprise by inspiring and empowering our students and recent graduates to explore opportunities to solve problems through creating innovative products and services that can have real world impact.”
All participants will continue to receive support through the University’s ABVentures programme, including mentoring, workshops, funding, and connections to further development opportunities.
For more information about the Lightbulb Ideas Competition and future opportunities for student entrepreneurship at the university, please visit https://abdn.ac.uk/abventures