The Young Engineers and Students (YES) sub-committee organises a range of competitions and events to create a dialogue with our younger members, designed to advance their careers in the field of composite materials and processing. Events, including an annual seminar competition and an annual Design and Make competition take place throughout the year and enable young engineers to practice important skills and receive prices for their excellent contributions. Other benefits include:

• Networking opportunities. Becoming part of the SAMPE family provides interactions with the composites industry early in your career
• SAMPE supports your continuous development through meetings and Seminars in the UK and globally
• Reduced membership fee for students and young engineers
• Technical Papers are available to you at no cost, accessed via our website
• Bi-monthly SAMPE Journal containing cutting edge articles

SAMPE UK & Ireland officially launches its annual YES (Young Engineers and Students) Seminar Competition. The competition will take place on Thursday, 22 May 2025, at the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK in Coventry, where entrants will compete for a chance to advance to the global finals in the USA.

For over 25 years, this competition has supported and celebrated the next generation of engineers and materials specialists. SAMPE UKIC invites students from UK & Ireland universities to deliver a 15-minute presentation on their research to a panel of industry and academic experts. The top two presenters will receive an expenses-paid trip to the SAMPE Europe Conference in Amsterdam, held on 6–7 October 2025. There, they will compete in the European round of the Students’ Seminar, with the chance to advance to the global finals in the USA.

The competition offers students a valuable opportunity to:

• Showcase their research to a technical audience
• Network with peers and professionals across Europe
• Strengthen presentation and communication skills in a professional setting

All participants will receive a one-year complimentary SAMPE student membership, which will give them access to a global community of professionals in advanced materials and processes.

SAMPE UKIC encourages postgraduate students (typically beyond the midpoint of an MSc, EngD, or PhD programme) to enter. A judging panel will assess submitted abstracts based on technical relevance and quality. Finalists will receive feedback based on presentation content, delivery, technique, and audience engagement.

To participate in this event, please complete the Abstract submission form below or return the abstract template by email to SAMPEUKI@outlook.com no later than Friday 25th April 2025. Please include “YES SAMPE Seminar Competition” in the subject line of your email.

For more information, please contact:

Dr Carwyn Ward (University of the West of England) – carwyn.ward@uwe.ac.uk

Dr Lee Harper (University of Nottingham) – lee.harper@nottingham.ac.uk