Big Bang Fair 2019 | News

The show is the UK’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people aged between 8 and 16, held at Birmingham’s NEC.

Activities on our stand included an explanation of how the Global Positioning System works to pin-point locations through three satellite signals. Visitors could then test their knowledge in a timed trilateration challenge to work out the coordinates needed to locate one of 20 BAE Systems sites laid out on a huge map of the UK.

A core component of the school’s computing curriculum, and a key requirement for software engineering, is a knowledge of how we use coding to programme machines to make them work for us. Using Bluetooth, Wifi and 4G as examples of how we can send programmes by converting code into waves, our second stand activity tested visitors’ ability to programme a Sphero Robot with simple scratch code to move accurately along a track in a timed competition.

This year’s most popular exhibit was the full-size model of our concept future combat air system Tempest. Visitors queued for lengthy periods to get a chance to sit in the cockpit and hear about the concept and how this sort of technology will provide jobs for the future.

Stephanie Anforth, Education and Skills Manager, Shared Services said:

“Providing young people with exciting opportunities to inspire interest in technology, engineering and science is critical to helping make sure we have a future talent pipeline with the right skills and interests to be able to help us deliver some of the World’s most advanced technology. The Big Bang Fair is an ideal opportunity for us to ignite interest in STEM, giving us opportunity to explain concepts in simple and understandable terms with activities designed to give them a memorable experience.”