Right: Pictured at the award ceremony in Microsoft headqaurters in Sandyford, Dublin, are (l to r): Kieran Stafford, Sligo IT; Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin; Cristina Maria Luminea, Sligo IT;  Paul Rellis, Managing Director Microsoft Ireland.

The Institute's winning project, ParkIT, will now compete with students and projects from around the world at the final in France.

Bearing in mind that many motorists cause congestion by travelling round and round town centres looking for parking spaces, students from Sligo IT are proposing an application which would enable the provision of real time parking information. Using cameras and software, the application would monitor car park spaces and could determine when a space was vacant.

This information would be sent to a central database, which would be used to drive a real time parking information system that would provides users, on request, with available parking data near their location. The user would then be able to use a portable device, such as a sat-nav system or mobile phone, to request a parking space at a specified location.

Overall competition prizes include a chance to visit Silicon Valley to take part in the Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator, a prize awarded to the best software design teams.

Teams selected for the Innovation Accelerator program receive technical support and business coaching to create the must-have technology and communications applications of the future. Over an intensive two-week period, students further develop their designs and viable business plans with close guidance from some of the best minds at Microsoft and BT.

Speaking at the awards ceremony Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said:

"For students to thrive in a world enabled by information technology, they must be equipped with the skills to make sense of, and use, the technology that surrounds them. They need to know how to learn new skills as quickly as technology creates new challenges.

"The Imagine Cup inspires creativity and ingenuity in the use of technology. ParkIT has exhibited all these qualities and is a worthy winner of the national stage of the competition. I understand the standard of entry was outstanding and I have every confidence that ParkIT will go forward and do Ireland proud in the global finals. I would also like to acknowledge Microsoft’s invaluable support of this exciting initiative."  

Kieran Stafford, from the winning team said, "We’re delighted to have been chosen from amongst our peers to represent Ireland in such a prestigious competition. We look forward to representing Sligo IT, our fellow students and our country in France this summer and we are grateful to Microsoft for the opportunity."