A second year Mechanical Maintenance Modern Apprentice studying at Forth Valley College, is totally pumped up that his new invention gained recognition at a prestigious ideas challenge event.
Daniel Dzapta (19) who lives in Cowie and works for OI Glass in Alloa, entered his self-inflating bicycle tyre Hub Pump in the Manufacturing Technologies Association’s (MTA) Technology, Design and Innovation (TDI) challenge earlier in 2025, and he was recognised with a third place in the Key Stage Five section winning £300 in amazon vouchers for himself and £800 for the College as his designated education establishment.
Now Daniel, who came up with the idea while living in his home country of Zimbabwe, is looking to patent his invention and look for potential investors and partners to help him bring it to production and the marketplace.
He said: “I came up with the Hub Pump idea when I lived in Zimbabwe and it is a fully mechanical tyre inflation device mounted to the hub of a bike, and it allows you to inflate your tyres while riding the bike. All you have to do is flick a lever and it starts to work.”
Daniel is currently on a dependents visa as his mum works in the care sector. This visa limits his access to public funds, but his employers have obviously taken stock of his potential, as they are currently paying for his studies at FVC.
He added: “I love working with OI, they are a fantastic company and I am always trying to do my best for them. I saw this competition advertised online and I entered it and was invited to come to their finals day in Worcester. I came third, but to get this recognition for my invention is the main thing. I have used the £300 to buy a 3D printer so I can continue making protoypes of my pump.
“Studying for my NC Engineering Maintenance at the College has been great as well as the facilities, lecturers and Work Based Assessors are great and I can work on my pump project on the Computer Aided Design packages and computers. The 3D printers facilities have been a big help too.
“This idea can work on most bikes and I think it would be a real help to cyclists all over the world. I am now pushing ahead with trying to patent it and would love to hear from any investors or potential business partners who might like to get involved to help bring it to market.”
Kenny Swan, FVC’s Senior Assessor in the Department of Apprentices, Skills and Assessors, pictured at the Falkirk Campus with Daniel, said: “Daniel is a great student and I was delighted to be his point of contact from the College when he entered this challenge.
“I am so happy for him to receive this recognition as he has come up with an excellent idea and worked so hard on making it work.
“All my Assessor colleagues are driven and inspired to encourage, guide and support the modern apprentices we look after and it is inspiring to see them all succeed in the early part of their careers and become fully qualified. Daniel is a great example of that and I am so proud of what he has achieved so far.
“I know for a fact that the £800 we will receive as a result of Daniel’s recognition will be put to good use in our department and is very welcome. Thanks again Daniel!”
Any potential business partners who would like to contact Daniel to find out more about investment support in his invention should e-mail danieldzapata29@gmail.com
This year’s TDI Challenge was, once again, hosted at Yamazaki Mazak at their state-of-the-art European Headquarters in Worcester. Mazak, a major manufacturing in our sector, provided participants with an exclusive tour of their factory and European Technology Centre, showcasing UK based manufacturing and opportunities in our sector to the next generation of engineers.
The TDI Challenge 2025 is generously sponsored by the Gene Haas Foundation, Vision West Nottinghamshire College, and Imagineering, who are all leaders in the industry.
Andrew Ward, representing the Gene Haas Foundation and serving as one of the judges, said: “This our second full year sponsoring the TDI challenge we absolutely delighted this year to so many competitors and congratulations to the winners. The TDI Challenge is an opportunity to help young people to develop their engineering skills, design skills and technology skills. On behalf of the Gene Haas foundation, we very much look forward to participating in future events”.
James Selka, CEO of the MTA, expressed his enthusiasm for the event’s growth and impact. He said: “The TDI Challenge is not only growing, it is thriving! I extend my heartfelt thanks to the MTA Team and our sponsors for their unwavering support. This event exemplifies how the industry can come together to shape the future of the manufacturing sector. Despite the rapid growth of the UK industry, there is a concerning decline in the number of young engineers. They are our future and having some of the biggest names in the industry judge their projects is an honour for both MTA and the students.”
The TDI Challenge 2025 was open to students aged 14-19, providing a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity and innovation. Participants were invited to submit a design for a new product or concept and a two-minute video demonstrating its application and benefits. Finalists were chosen from the video entries submitted by the end of May 2025 and from two live regional events held at UTC Derby Pride Park & Silverstone UTC. The finalists were invited to present their ideas in detail at the finals event, where the winners were announced.
The MTA’s Education & Skills Manager, Danny Reed said: “I am thrilled to see so many students, teachers and parents from all over the UK engaged in the challenge and supporting the manufacturing and technology sector. This year’s competition showcased the biggest number of entries we’ve ever seen and it encouraging to see so many young engineers excited by our ever-growing sector.
“The TDI Challenge not only showcases student creativity but also emphasises the vital role of collaboration between industry and education in tackling future challenges and opportunities. This year’s event welcomes back former winners from 2023 and 2024, now serving as judges, who will share their inspiring experiences and the influence the challenge has had on their career paths.”
The winner of the Key Stage 5 was Pacha Pritchard from Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern with her Time & Tide project and second place was Jack Lockyer from Nottingham High School with his Smart Cones idea.
For more information, visit www.thetdichallenge.co.uk
