Students from a Watford college have returned triumphant from a technology competition in Germany.

The team of IT students from Watford University Technical College (UTC) travelled to Munich as part of a nationwide competition run by Fujitsu and partners Intel, Brocade and Kyocera. 

Operation Innovation was launched to help provide students with real-world commercial experience and opportunities, and give them a chance to interact with technology first-hand.

UK Students aged 16 and over were asked to develop a proof of concept around the Internet of Things (IoT) – asking them to come up with a way to solve a real-world problem using IoT technology.

Watford UTC’s three-student team of 17 to 19-year-olds presented their winning proof of concept - “The BioBand” - to the CTO of global business at Fujitsu, Dr Joseph Reger. 

The BioBand is a wearable wristband that can monitor the pressure, temperature and heart rate of its users. By collecting biometric data using a developed algorithm, the BioBand provides users advice on what they can do to reduce their stress via an app. 

The BioBand will now be evaluated by Fujitsu professionals for potential future production. 

Lewis O’Shaughnessy, a member of the winning Watford UTC team, said: “I took part in Operation Innovation due to the opportunities it offered me professionally and personally.

“In-depth research, thinking outside the box, working in a team, presentation skills, interacting with industry professionals, putting together a proof of concept and selling our product idea was just part of it.”

Ash Merchant, education director at Fujitsu, said:  “It was Watford UTC which really stood out as having met all of the criteria for the competition, having a strong grasp of the technology, while also showing a great deal of creativity and thinking outside the box in their proposal.”