Just six weeks remain for young hopefuls to submit their most innovative idea for automotive to the 2017 Autocar Courland Next Generation Award. Entries close at 5pm on Tuesday 29 August, with the best idea to receive a a once-in-a-lifetime prize at the SMMT Annual Dinner this November.
Run by Autocar and Courland Automotive in partnership with SMMT and sponsors Honda; Jaguar Land Rover; McLaren Automotive; Nissan; Toyota; and new patron HORIBA MIRA, the competition offers young innovators the chance to kick-start a career in the automotive industry. All they have to do is submit an original idea or innovation that would improve the sector.
Entrants, who should be aged 17-25 and reside in the UK, can submit proposals in one of five categories: mobility, connectivity, sustainability, customer experience or marketing and communication. Submissions for improvements anywhere – from concept right through to aftermarket – will be judged by a panel of experts against criteria including originality, technical and commercial viability, and ease of implementation.
As well as gaining industry acclaim, the overall winner will receive a cash prize of £9,000, and six months of priceless work experience shared between all six award sponsors.
The Autocar Courland Next Generation Award is now a proven path into UK Automotive, with many finalists going on to secure positions in the industry. Runner-up in 2011, Katie Jones is now a Colour and Materials designer at Jaguar Land Rover; 2012 finalist Jonathan Maynard is Lead Engineer for Interior and Exterior Components at Aston Martin; and 2012 winner Roberto Antonio Pace is a Design Engineer at McLaren Automotive.
As in previous years, the overall winner will be announced in front of an audience of more than 1,000 senior industry executives and stakeholders on 28 November at the SMMT Annual Dinner, Grosvenor House Hotel, London.
The 101st dinner will be hosted by SMMT President Tony Walker, Deputy MD, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK and MD, Toyota Motor Europe.
To read the full award entry brief and for more detail about the application process, visit www.autocar.co.uk/nextgenerationaward.
Tickets to the SMMT Annual Dinner are available now at www.smmt.co.uk/annualdinner.
