Looking for the next big business idea? How about a temporary tattoo that tells you when it's time to apply more sunscreen, or an adjustable focus screen?

These are some of the winning entries in the Young Innovator Award's junior category – a product development competition introduced by Priority One four years ago to foster creative thinking among Western Bay secondary students.

Young Innovator Award organiser Lyn Parlane looks over the winning entry concepts on display at the careers expo. Photo by Bruce Barnard

The winners and commended finalists were announced on Thursday night at the launch of the Western Bay @ Work expo at ASB Arena.

Competition organiser and Priority One INSTEP manager Lyn Parlane says the 130 high calibre product and service ideas entered shows creative thinking is alive and well in the region.

She says judges were incredibly impressed with the high standard of entries, meaning the competition took a lot longer to assess than expected.

'We were really pleased with the numbers. It was a huge increase in the senior and junior categories from last year.”

Lyn is happy with the number of entries in the new Young Professionals category (under 40) but believes there is a lot of potential for growth as more people learn about it.

Supreme winner in the junior category (Years 9-10) went to Otumoetai College students Caitlyn Donaghy, Marnie Hunter and Arianna Iaccarino – for their temporary tattoo ‘sun smart sensor'.

Katikati College's Harry Dobbs was highly commended for his ‘Gutter cone' product, as was Mount Maunganui College's Briana Osborne for her ‘Babies on the Go' entry.

Judges Blythe Rees-Jones and Steve Saunders with highly commended young professionals Charles Leota and George Wilkins. Photo: Robin Lyttle (Locus Research).

Sustainability was a key focus behind the senior competition's supreme winner Emily McCarthy, of Tauranga Girls' College, for her toothbrush with a swappable tip that means only the bristles need to be replaced regularly.

Otumoetai College's Freedom Holloway was highly commended for their ‘Tripshare' web-based system where people can coordinate car-pooled trips.

There was no outright supreme winner in the young professional category. But entries by George Wilkins and William McCallum, for a one-stop-shop for all corporate merchandise needs, and Charles Leota's Knowtify were both highly commended.

An entry by Phil Hewes for All(ey)way – which was also commended, called for beach access alleys at Mount Maunganui and Papamoa to be available for alternative public space use.

The high standard of entries on the junior category also saw commendations go to Katikati College's Shanae Richardson and Anna Swanney for their adjustable focus screen, to Katikati's Monique van Loon for her stroke rehabilitation machine and to Aquinas College's Kimberley D'Mello for her public speaking software coaching system, Speech Teach.

The public can view the concept work behind the product ideas at Bayfair Shopping Centre from August 11-25, where they can vote for their favourite in the People's Choice Award.

The entries were assessed on five factors: research, communication, sustainability, innovation and creativity, by a panel of business innovation leaders.

Businesspeople from the region also learned from the judges when they spoke at Priority One's inaugural Innovation Forum on Friday morning on the theme of ‘When Business and Innovation Collide'.

Lyn says holding the innovation forum was a great way to capitalise on the visiting judges' expertise and promote ideas to foster an innovative business culture in the region.

The judges include Steve Saunders, whose horticultural-focussed businesses in the Plus Group of companies have won a series of innovation awards, and Blythe Rees-Jones, the creative director at award-winning design firm Locus Research. Both are from the Western Bay.

Tauranga Girls' College Emily McCarthy won the Supreme Senior Award.