Hosted this year by technology journalist Kate Russell, the festival filled the MTI campus with interactive demonstrations, live challenges and conversations between students and employers determined to inspire the next generation of innovators.
Industry partners including HORIBA MIRA, Triumph Motorcycles, Amazon Web Services, FluxSys, Jaguar Land Rover, HALDEX - SAF Holland Group, Coventry University Electric Revolution Skills Hub, and the college itself hosted activity stands throughout the day. Pupils explored motorcycle engineering components, tested vehicle simulation technology, experimented with AI and robotics, tried diagnostics software used in the transport industry and even stepped into the world of broadcast journalism, with help from Rise Academy, producing their own mock news inserts.
The festival also welcomed civic guests including Jodie Gosling MP for Nuneaton, the Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Cllr Richard Flemming, and the Deputy Mayor of North Warwickshire Borough Council, Cllr Davina Ridley.
The event continued its strong partnership with TeenTech, whose programmes challenge students to think differently about science and technology careers.
Sally Dixon, Executive Producer, TeenTech Festivals said: “It’s been a fantastic festival reaching hundreds of students across Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Watching them confidently pitch their own innovative ideas to industry experts is very exciting.
“We’re so appreciative of the effort made by all the participating companies to ensure young people see such a wide range of emerging technology in the automotive sector. It’s inspiring for everyone.”
MTI Operations Director Lisa Bingley said the institute was proud to host the festival once again and to see every part of the building in use. She said: “MTI exists to make advanced technology careers accessible and achievable, and watching students push themselves to explore new tools and ideas truly showcased why this event matters.
“The college and our partners want young people across the region to see that world‑class engineering and digital careers are right here in their own community – and that MTI is here to inspire them and help them take that first step.”
Marion Plant OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, said: “TeenTech at the MIRA Technology Institute shows young people that world-class engineering and digital careers are right here on their doorstep. By bringing industry and education together, we are raising aspirations, building confidence and helping the next generation see that their future in advanced technology starts here.”
The MTI is the result of a unique collaboration led by NWSLC and its partners HORIBA MIRA, Coventry University, the University of Leicester and Loughborough University, created to train future engineers and technologists in fields including electrification, sustainability and advanced automotive systems. On Tuesday, 24 February, the College was awarded a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education from Their Majesties The King and Queen for equipping thousands of students and professional engineers with specialist new skills in demand from the UK’s automotive sector through the MIRA Technology Institute.
