Museum of Science and Industry

Creative inventors should be rewarded with Bachelors of Invention, Trevor Baylis will suggest next week in a talk at (MOSI) Museum of Science & Industry, as part of the Manchester Science Festival, which is held throughout Manchester from 25 October to 2 November.

Baylis, who became internationally famous with his invention of the clockwork radio, will showcase his new Eco Media Player and other eco-products at the Festival, and will aim to inspire his audience to become inventors themselves. He says that a new practical-based qualification, where students would need to come up with a product and successfully file for a patent to pass their degree, could help support more young inventors and generate brilliant ideas in the process. Baylis will also stress that theft of inventors’ ideas should be treated as a white collar crime.

Trevor Baylis said: “There are some incredibly inventive minds in Britain and we come up with great ideas, but invention is a not a formally recognised skill, and one of the main problems is getting the commercial backing to bring the products to market. A lot of our best ideas are exported because inventors are not supported enough here compared to other countries. If we’re not going to reward our inventors we might as well go down the pan. A recognised practical qualification which rewards people who come up with useful inventions would help to reward inventors and give them a basic training in how to bring their products to market. We also need enough legal protection to stop inventors’ ideas being stolen by others.”

Trevor Baylis will speak at MOSI at 2pm on 27 October. The Manchester Science Festival includes a packed programme of over 100 science and technology-related events in venues across the city. Cartoonist Martin Rowson and science fiction writer Stephen Baxter are also amongst the high-profile speakers who will visit Manchester during the week of activities, which take place in museums, galleries, universities, bars and shopping centres.

From understanding our fears and phobias, to debating the very latest medical advances, to the science of the perfect free kick, and alien hunting in Didsbury, the festival aims to inspire everyone to learn about science and encourage more people to consider careers in science and technology. There will be dramatic chemistry and physics demonstrations, interactive science with a little art thrown in - courtesy of the Science Butlers, and ‘environmental music’ from recycled objects.

The Manchester Science Festival is supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and is now in its second year. The Festival includes a comprehensive education programme in schools, as well as fun family activities around the city.

Trevor Baylis will speak at MOSI at 2pm on 27 October. For more information about the Manchester Science Festival please look up www.manchestersciencefestival.com For information about Trevor Baylis look up www.trevorbaylisbrands.com

For media information or photos please contact Sarah Roe Tel: 0161 606 0176. 

Notes to editors

All events in the Festival are related to four themes:

• ‘Manchesticity' - the city's endeavours, achievements, people, places and ideas.
• Mind & Body – includes activities and topics about our brains and brawn
• Planet - explores our impact on and use of the earth, and our discoveries in space.
• Elements – atoms; earth, wind, water, fire; and of course, the weather!

Back to news