AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, Shell and Siemens have announced they are to lead sponsorship of The Big Bang: UK Young Scientists' and Engineers' Fair. This comes as organisers confirmed that more than 13,000 students have already registered to attend the free event in March 2010 in Manchester. The Fair, which hosts the finals of the National Science & Engineering Competition, will celebrate young people's achievements in science and engineering during 2009 and will encourage young people of all ages to do more with science, technology, engineering and maths, (STEM), at school and beyond.
As part of the sponsorship agreement, AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, Shell and Siemens will demonstrate how they use STEM in their every day businesses. The sponsors will lead the event with a range of inspirational and interactive activities, in what organisers expect to be the UK's biggest celebration of science and engineering under one roof.
Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of EngineeringUK, which leads The Big Bang, said: "Having leading companies from life sciences, aerospace, energy and electrical engineering, involved in The Big Bang allows us to show young people just some of the fantastic careers that are possible with a background in science, technology, engineering and maths. The participation of AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, Shell and Siemens - some of the UK's biggest employers of scientists and engineers in the UK - makes The Big Bang even more of an appealing event for students, teachers and parents who want to see science in action, outside the classroom."
Aileen Allsop, Vice President for Science Policy at AstraZeneca, said: "AstraZeneca is proud to sponsor the Big Bang Fair. We are keen to share our passion for science and play our part in developing the next generation of scientists and engineers. This event recognises the importance of ensuring that the UK has a strong foundation of skilled and passionate young people in these important areas and celebrates the marvellous achievements that young people can make."
"As Britain's largest employer of engineers, we place huge importance in ensuring that world class scientists and engineers are nurtured through the UK's education system," says Dick Olver, Chairman of BAE Systems (seen here with a BAE Systems apprentice at the 2009 event). "To support this, we invest £41 million in the UK every year in working with schools, supporting university partnerships in the UK and providing training within the company. The Big Bang offers a valuable platform for Government, industry and engineering institutions to work together and engage with the next generation of engineers at a time where they are beginning to form opinions about their future careers."