Students present healthcare solutions to industry judges at UTC Health Tech Challenge

Teams of UTC students presented solutions to modern healthcare problems at the 2026 UTC Health Tech Challenge on Thursday 5 February. This exciting student event, now in its third year, was kindly sponsored by Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and hosted at Stadium Workspace in Sheffield’s Olympic Legacy Park.

Several of the teams walked away with trophies after winning prizes for teamwork, sustainability, presentation, for being judged the best by their student peers, or for being the overall winners.

The winners in the pre-16 category were:

  • Teamwork – UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park
  • Sustainability – Doncaster UTC
  • Presentation – Lincoln UTC
  • Students’ award – UTC Derby Pride Park
  • Overall – WMG Academy Trust Coventry
A mixed group of students stood between two roller banners for UTCs and the NHS. The students are flanked by three women.
The pre-16 overall winners from WMG Coventry, with Ruth Brown (left), Ruth Amos (right) and Kate Ambrosi, Baker Dearing CEO (to the left of Amos).

The winners in the post-16 category are:

  • Teamwork – UTC Derby Pride Park
  • Sustainability – UTC Derby Pride Park
  • Presentation – SGS Berkeley Green UTC
  • Students’ award – SGS Berkeley Green UTC
  • Overall – Greater Peterborough UTC
Another group of students. The centre student is holding a green trophy. Brown is stood on the left, before the NHS banner, and Ambrosi on the right, by the UTC banner.
The post-16 overall winners from Greater Peterborough UTC with Brown and Ambrosi.

Students had to create and present innovative products to support children and young people in one of three key areas:

  • Mental health
  • Long-term conditions (such as asthma and diabetes)
  • Neurodevelopmental conditions (including autism and ADHD)

Visiting on the day was Sheffield Central MP Abtisam Mohamed who visited several of the students’ presentations, including that of UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park which is in her constituency. Our thanks to Mohamed for visiting the challenge and showing her support.

Students and adults stood before a presentation table and roller banner.
Abtisam Mohamed MP (furthest left); Kate Ambrosi (left); and two UTC Sheffield OLP students.

Following the presentations, students heard some inspiring speeches from Ruth Amos, director of the Kids Invent Stuff initiative, and Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust CEO Ruth Brown.

Meanwhile, the team of industry judges was deciding on the winners. Our thanks to the judging panel:

  • Kate Ambrosi
  • Richard Stubbs, Chief Executive at Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber
  • Paul Dimitri, Director of the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health
  • Nathaniel Mills, Chief Operating Officer at NIHR HealthTech Research Centre Network
  • Philippa Hedley-Takhar, Head of Implementation and Client Experience at XR Therapeutics
  • Ursula Ankeny, Design Researcher at Lab4Living, Sheffield Hallam University
  • Godswill Erhunmwunse, Software Engineering Apprentice at Royal London and alumni of UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the day a success.

A tiny model wheelchair sits on a table next to an open laptop and a pile of leaflets titled 'come and see our AI powered wheelchair'
One of the student projects presented at the UTC Health Tech Challenge
A table with a large rubber duck atop next to a smaller, fluffier duck. There is also a wooden tooth brush and toothbrush heads, a range of small, multi-coloured items, and a large display board in the rear with the legend 'Brush Buddies.'
Another of the student projects presented at the UTC Health Tech Challenge.

Students present healthcare solutions to industry judges at UTC Health Tech Challenge

Teams of UTC students presented solutions to modern healthcare problems at the 2026 UTC Health Tech Challenge on Thursday 5 February. This exciting student event, now in its third year, was kindly sponsored by Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and hosted at Stadium Workspace in Sheffield’s Olympic Legacy Park.

Several of the teams walked away with trophies after winning prizes for teamwork, sustainability, presentation, for being judged the best by their student peers, or for being the overall winners.

The winners in the pre-16 category were:

  • Teamwork – UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park
  • Sustainability – Doncaster UTC
  • Presentation – Lincoln UTC
  • Students’ award – UTC Derby Pride Park
  • Overall – WMG Academy Trust Coventry
A mixed group of students stood between two roller banners for UTCs and the NHS. The students are flanked by three women.
The pre-16 overall winners from WMG Coventry, with Ruth Brown (left), Ruth Amos (right) and Kate Ambrosi, Baker Dearing CEO (to the left of Amos).

The winners in the post-16 category are:

  • Teamwork – UTC Derby Pride Park
  • Sustainability – UTC Derby Pride Park
  • Presentation – SGS Berkeley Green UTC
  • Students’ award – SGS Berkeley Green UTC
  • Overall – Greater Peterborough UTC
Another group of students. The centre student is holding a green trophy. Brown is stood on the left, before the NHS banner, and Ambrosi on the right, by the UTC banner.
The post-16 overall winners from Greater Peterborough UTC with Brown and Ambrosi.

Students had to create and present innovative products to support children and young people in one of three key areas:

  • Mental health
  • Long-term conditions (such as asthma and diabetes)
  • Neurodevelopmental conditions (including autism and ADHD)

Visiting on the day was Sheffield Central MP Abtisam Mohamed who visited several of the students’ presentations, including that of UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park which is in her constituency. Our thanks to Mohamed for visiting the challenge and showing her support.

Students and adults stood before a presentation table and roller banner.
Abtisam Mohamed MP (furthest left); Kate Ambrosi (left); and two UTC Sheffield OLP students.

Following the presentations, students heard some inspiring speeches from Ruth Amos, director of the Kids Invent Stuff initiative, and Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust CEO Ruth Brown.

Meanwhile, the team of industry judges was deciding on the winners. Our thanks to the judging panel:

  • Kate Ambrosi
  • Richard Stubbs, Chief Executive at Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber
  • Paul Dimitri, Director of the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health
  • Nathaniel Mills, Chief Operating Officer at NIHR HealthTech Research Centre Network
  • Philippa Hedley-Takhar, Head of Implementation and Client Experience at XR Therapeutics
  • Ursula Ankeny, Design Researcher at Lab4Living, Sheffield Hallam University
  • Godswill Erhunmwunse, Software Engineering Apprentice at Royal London and alumni of UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the day a success.

A tiny model wheelchair sits on a table next to an open laptop and a pile of leaflets titled 'come and see our AI powered wheelchair'
One of the student projects presented at the UTC Health Tech Challenge
A table with a large rubber duck atop next to a smaller, fluffier duck. There is also a wooden tooth brush and toothbrush heads, a range of small, multi-coloured items, and a large display board in the rear with the legend 'Brush Buddies.'
Another of the student projects presented at the UTC Health Tech Challenge.

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