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Journalism of Courage
The James Dyson Award 2025 has named its global winners — WaterSense and OnCue — two student-led inventions that address global challenges in sustainability and healthcare. Each winner will receive Rs 31.5 lakh to further develop their innovations.
WaterSense, developed by Polish PhD candidate Filip Budny from the Warsaw University of Technology, won in the Sustainability category. The AI-powered device autonomously monitors water quality in real time, replacing the traditional, labour-intensive manual sampling process. By detecting pollutants early, it aims to prevent environmental damage and improve access to clean water — a major step forward as over 40% of the world’s rivers and lakes remain severely polluted.
OnCue, created by Italian product designer Alessandra Galli, an alumna of Delft University of Technology, was named the Medical winner. The innovation is a smart keyboard designed for people living with Parkinson’s disease. Unlike conventional assistive devices, OnCue integrates therapeutic visual and haptic cues that help manage tremors, freezing, and other motor symptoms, making typing smoother and more accessible.
James Dyson, founder of Dyson, said, “The James Dyson Award supports young inventors who think differently and tackle real-world problems head-on. Filip and Alessandra exemplify that spirit, offering practical and ingenious solutions to health and environmental challenges.”
This year’s competition — the 20th edition of the global student design award — received over 2,100 entries from 28 countries and regions. Since its inception, the initiative has supported more than 400 student inventions worldwide, distributing over £1.5 million in prize money.
Notably, India’s own innovation, OncoALERT, developed by Jayanti Kumari from the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (Department of Biotechnology, Government of India), made it to the global finals this year — a first for the country. The project tackles the late detection of oral cancer, one of India’s leading health concerns, underscoring the nation’s growing footprint in science-driven innovation.
Filip and Alessandra were surprised with the winning announcement during a virtual interaction with James Dyson, marking a celebratory close to the 2025 edition of the award.
