A South Island teenager and an Auckland-based student have won supreme innovator titles at the 2016 ASB Bright Sparks awards.

Mitchell Hollows, 17, of Balclutha, was named supreme innovator after inventing a laser tool that he hopes will save the lives of thousands of native paua. A keen fisherman, Hollows has been diving for paua for a couple of years – and it was on a fishing trip that he discovered paua are haemophiliac and can be damaged by physical measuring, which is the traditional method of measuring a catch. This inspired him to develop the Koru Paua Tool, a laser that measures paua in a non-invasive way to help preserve their fishing beds.

Mitchell Hollows.

Hollows says he hopes the tool will boost the paua population and help save the species. “Being able to pop off paua is part of our Kiwi culture – and I’d hate to see that go.”

Co-winner Mikayla Stokes, 15, created the Pollution Sensor. The device monitors how pollution changes in different areas around Stokes’ hometown of Auckland. After seeing smoky trucks on the roads, Stokes says she wanted to find ways to reduce pollution in her city.

She says she’s thrilled with her win. “ASB Bright Sparks has been really helpful with providing resources and has been a great way to meet new people,” she explains. “I really like the forum and the overall community.”

Mikayla Stokes.

The Skills Organisation chief executive Garry Fissenden says this year’s crop of winners are nothing if not impressive. “This year’s finalists should be very proud of themselves and what they’ve achieved,” he explains. “It’s exciting to see the quality of the entries increasing each year.”

ASB’s executive general manager for technology and innovation, Russell Jones, says he’s also impressed. “The Skills Organisation and ASB share a focus on youth and innovation, and this year has proven to be a very successful one for the competition,” he says. “It’s great to see more of our young people getting involved in technology and innovation, and see female participation grow year-on-year, too.” 

Full list of winners at the 2016 ASB Bright Sparks Awards