Students from Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow have been named as semi-finalists in a national tech competition.

The team of students from Marlow earned their place in the semi-finals for WasteWatcher, an app that helps people reduce food waste by logging the ingredients they buy along with their use-by dates and recommending recipes to use everything up on time.

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Other creations that have made it into the final include a robot that cleans up beaches and could one day help tackle plastic pollution, a ‘Dementia Prevention Phone’ that uses family members’ voices to help someone stay mentally active, and an app that detects online bullying.

The winners will receive a £25,000 prize from Nesta Challenges and supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

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Science Minister Chris Skidmore said: “I have been hugely impressed by the quality and creativity showcased by the semi-finalists of the Longitude Explorer Prize.

"The 11-16-year-olds involved in the competition have the potential to become the future scientists and engineers that will grow our reputation as a world leader in science and innovation.

“From a robot that cleans up our beaches and AI therapy dogs to help autistic children navigate social situations, this competition is helping knock down barriers while teaching our future generation that anything is possible.”

Due to the high volume and quality of entrants, today Nesta Challenges also announced it is creating 10 new places in the Longitude Explorer Prize final and is inviting schools and youth groups to enter innovative ideas before the closing deadline of 14 February 2020.

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Entries must feature inventive and innovative solutions that use AI, machine learning or technology.

This will also allow entrants who were unsuccessful the first time around to refine their ideas and apply again.

Constance Agyeman, Head of International Development and Communities, Nesta Challenges said: “The ingenuity and inventiveness of the young teams who have already entered the Longitude Explorer Prize have been astounding.

"It’s this wealth of creativity and innovative thinking that has inspired us to re-open entries and increase the number of places available in the final.

"We want to give even more young people, who have a passion for harnessing technology to make the world a better place, a chance to win £25,000 for their school or youth group.”

For more details about all of the semi-finalists announced today and to find out how to enter a team ahead of 14 February 2020, visit longitudeexplorer.challenges.org or search: Longitude Explorer.