Up-and-coming inventors take centre stage as the James Dyson Award reveals global finalists, featuring inventions from across Southeast Asia
- 20 student-led inventions have been shortlisted as global finalists in the 2025 James Dyson Award, selected by a panel of Dyson engineers.
- This year’s Top 20 shortlist includes Singaporean invention nido, an insulin needle organiser that solves challenges faced by people living with Type 1 diabetes, and Malaysian entry UNBLOK, a sustainable drain filter made from local palm oil waste.
- Global winners will be selected by Sir James Dyson from this list and announced on 5 November, each receiving S$50,700 to support the development of their invention.
Today, 20 student-led inventions from around the world have been shortlisted as finalists in the 2025 James Dyson Award, bringing them one step closer to the global prize.
Celebrating bold approaches to problem-solving, the James Dyson Award is an international design engineering competition that challenges young inventors to develop solutions to real-world issues. This year, Singaporean invention nido and Malaysian entry UNBLOK have joined the global shortlist of 20 pioneering innovations, with the chance to become a global winner and receive S$50,700 to support the next stages of development.
This year’s 20 best inventions tackle the world’s most pressing problems
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Empowering individuals managing diabetes
Insulin injections can be a daily routine for those managing diabetes, and are often rushed, public and stressful – creating risk of accidental pricks and added emotional burden for patients. Zoey Chan, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 20, decided to tackle this problem by channelling her lived experience into design. The Industrial Design graduate from the National University of Singapore then created nido, a compact, portable organiser that safely stores, ejects and disposes insulin needles, addressing everyday safety, dignity and emotional strain for people managing diabetes.
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Turning palm oil waste into a sustainable plumbing solution
Fats, oils, and grease from food waste are often improperly disposed of in kitchen sink drains, causing blockages and overflows in underground sewers. Created by Ong Jing Rou, Natalie Tham, and Ng Wen Kai from Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), UNBLOK uses biodegradable palm oil waste to build an under-sink filter that prevents fats, oils, and grease from clogging pipes – addressing a hidden contributor to urban pollution and advancing a circular economy.
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Overcoming anxiety towards medical screening
Dr. Jayanti Kumari in India has been shortlisted for her invention OncoALERT, a needle-free oral cancer test powered by paper-based nanotechnology. In the UK, Yidan Xu progresses to the Top 20 shortlist with Urify, a toilet-cleaning tablet which also screens for early kidney disease. The invention was inspired by Yidan’s father, whose chronic kidney disease was diagnosed at a late stage due to delayed screening.
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This year’s global finalists were selected by a panel of 15 Dyson engineers based in the UK, US, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. They bring a wide range of expertise, from product design and sustainability to electronics and materials science. Each invention was evaluated on its functionality, design process, originality, and commercial viability.
Robyn Coutts, Senior Design Manager at Dyson and James Dyson Award 2025 Top 20 Judge said: “This year we had a wide ranging and innovative submissions that addressed some of the biggest challenges facing our society today. The judges had a real challenge to choose the Top 20 shortlist, and had some great debates about which ideas were both truly innovative and realistic for the market. All the entrants should be proud of their inventions. I look forward to seeing who wins!”
Read more about the 2025 Global Top 20 here and stay tuned for 5 November 2025 when Sir James Dyson will announce the global winners of the James Dyson Award.
Lydia Zul
Email: lydia.zul@dyson.com