Glasgow pupil awarded Bronze Medal in London for energy generating invention
Adam, a P5 pupil at Langside Primary School in Glasgow, has recently achieved a significant feat by winning a Bronze medal at the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal for his energy generating invention.
Adam’s invention, ‘Jump Charge’, envisioned a trampoline that generates electricity to charge devices, blending physical activity with sustainable energy. It was initially submitted to the “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” annual STEM competition, ran by Primary Engineer, in 2024. UK School pupils from the ages of 3-19 are tasked with interviewing an engineer, before being asked to identify a problem in the world around them and coming up with a creative, engineered solution to that problem. All entries are read and graded by professional engineers, with every single pupil who takes part receiving a named and graded certificate. The competition then culminates in exciting regional public exhibitions and award ceremonies, where shortlisted designs are displayed, and the winners and highly commended are invited on stage to receive their awards.
The Glasgow team from Thales UK, one of Primary Engineer’s national partners, selected Adam’s idea to develop into a working prototype during the 2024–2025 academic year. The Thales team, comprising graduates and apprentices, collaborated closely with Adam throughout the development process. They engaged him in design discussions, allowing his input to shape the project’s direction. Adam’s enthusiasm and insights were instrumental in refining the prototype, ensuring it aligned with his original vision. The finished prototype was unveiled at Primary Engineer Scotland West regional award ceremony on 5th June 2025, then submitted to the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award.
The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal, which is now in its fourth year, acts as the forerunner to the illustrious MacRobert Award, the leading prize for engineering innovation in the UK. The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal is designed to celebrate the achievements of the school pupils, students and young engineers who have all worked together to create innovative and world-changing prototypes based on a school pupils engineering idea.
Adam, his family and teachers from Langside Primary School attended the official award ceremony for The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal ceremony at the prestigious Drapers’ Hall in London on Monday 17th November 2025. The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal is a collaboration between Primary Engineer and The MacRobert Trust, with support from Weir Group PLC and Christopher Ward.
Earlier in the year, his mum, Marie, commented to say “The engineers he worked with were all fabulous, I loved that they came back to Adam to keep him involved, even choosing the colour schemes. Adam especially liked getting to jump on his invention and see it work, and has loved sharing his story with his friends, family and school. This has helped Adam to see what he can achieve and give him more focus at school.”
Congratulations to all the medalists, and you can find a full list of them here: Primary Engineer Award School Pupils and Engineers in London – Primary Engineer
Read more about this prototype here: https://www.primaryengineer.com/tag/thalesgpt25/