The AI Innovator of the Year Award

Are you the AI Innovator of the Year?

We’re searching UK universities to find the AI Innovator of the Year! We’re looking for students who see AI as more than just something to study. At Skyscanner, we’re interested in how you use AI to question the usual way of doing things, solve real problems and create better experiences for travellers. The AI Innovator of the Year award celebrates curious, creative thinkers who are excited by what AI can make possible. You don’t need to have all the answers or be an AI expert. We want to hear about how you’ve explored AI, tested new ideas, built something useful or used technology to make a process, product or experience better.

Enter if you are:

  • A current undergraduate student at a university in the UK
  • In your penultimate year of study
  • Studying a Computer Science or AI and Data Science related degree
  • Have an active interest in AI
Prizes

What could you win?

Win a paid 12-week summer internship in Edinburgh or Glasgow!

Spend your summer working on real challenges, making an impact and learning alongside talented people shaping the future of travel. You’ll also get one-to-one networking and mentoring with senior leaders, lunch with a member of Skyscanner’s C-suite and £500 towards your next travel adventure.

Apply now
what it takes

What makes an award winner?

An AI Innovator of the Year is more than someone who  understands algorithms or code. They are curious, creative and bold thinkers  who see the potential for AI to make a meaningful difference.

They look beyond the obvious, turn challenges into  opportunities and use AI to explore new ideas, solve real world problems and  create positive change.

The AI Innovator of the Year will:

  • Show curiosity, ambition and resilience
  • Think creatively and challenge the status quo
  • Learn from setbacks and keep exploring
  • Turn ideas into practical solutions
  • Consider the impact and responsible use of AI
  • Inspire others to think differently
  • Inspire others to think differently 

The strongest candidates will show how they  identified an opportunity, took ownership, overcame challenges and used AI to  create meaningful and lasting impact while recognising when human context and  judgement are still essential.

 Previous finalists have had the opportunity to take on real challenges at Skyscanner anduse AI to make a genuine impact. They’ve:

  • Built an AI-powered tool that a team could continueusing, turning a manual piece of work into a smarter, more scalable process.
  • Created an AI-native workflow that saved significantengineering time, helping simplify a complex process and make it easier tomanage in the future.
  • Used AI to help teams cut through a busy backlog,bringing together useful context so people could make quicker, better-informeddecisions.

These are real examples ofstudents using AI to solve real problems at Skyscanner, and your idea could benext.

Apply now

FROM OUR PARTNER

Skyscanner and the AI Innovator of the Year Award

Skyscanner and the AI Innovator of the Year Award

The AI Innovator of the Year award celebrates curious, creative thinkers who are excited by what AI can make possible. You don’t need to have all the answers or be an AI expert. We want to hear about how you’ve explored AI, tested new ideas, built something useful or used technology to make a process, product or experience better.

This could be anything from developing an AI-powered tool to improving the way people work, making information easier to access or finding a more creative solution to a real-world challenge. What matters is your thinking, your curiosity and the impact of your idea, finding ways to solve problems faster without compromising quality or integrity.

As an AI Innovator of the Year finalist, you’ll have the opportunity to showcase your work, share your perspective and connect with people working at the forefront of travel and technology. You’ll gain insight into Skyscanner’s emerging talent opportunities, learn by doing and discover what it takes to build a career where innovation, creativity and purpose come together.

More about Skyscanner

Skyscanner is a global travel tech company on a mission to make travel planning and booking better for everyone. We’re a worldwide team of 1,600+ passionate people across nine offices, united by our love of travel and belief in the power of technology to make a difference.

We’re proud of our positive, inclusive culture, where people are encouraged to be themselves, share ideas, learn from one another and grow. From Engineering, Product and Business to Marketing and Design, we bring together diverse skills, perspectives and cultures to create better experiences for travellers everywhere.

We’re not interested in doing things the same old way. We’re curious, collaborative and open to new ideas, and we’re not afraid to try, learn and improve along the way. That’s what makes Skyscanner the Real Deal: a place where people can do their best work, make a genuine impact and build careers that are as individual as they are.

Our emerging talent programmes are designed to help students and graduates learn, grow and make a real difference at Skyscanner. Through hands-on experience, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues, contribute to meaningful projects and develop skills in your chosen area. You’ll be supported by mentors, line managers, buddies and our emerging talent community, as well as taking part in bite-sized development sessions to build your confidence and employability.

Travel is about new experiences, new perspectives and lasting memories and working at Skyscanner is no different.

Find out more about Skyscanner here.

going all the way

How do I win?

Register

To apply, you’ll need to:

  1. Register for the Undergraduate of the Year Awards
  2. Complete three SHL assessments: a personality questionnaire, situational judgement test and reasoning test

Deadline: 12pm (midday), Monday 25 January 2027.

Extended Deadline:
25
January
2027

Online tests

Deadline:
25
January
2027

Submit by

25

January

2027

Remember, please make sure you allow enough time to complete all three assessments before the deadline.

If you’re successful in progressing to the next stage, we’ll be in touch by 26 February 2027 with details of what happens next.

Assessment

If you successfully pass the initial application and screening stage, your application will be reviewed by Skyscanner.

From there, you could be invited to take part in networking, interviews, an assessment centre or other activities designed to help you showcase your skills and get to know Skyscanner.

Full details will be given to successful students.

Grand final

Made it to the final? Congratulations!

The final shortlisted students will be invited to join us at the Undergraduate of the Year Awards ceremony on 16 April 2027, where we’ll celebrate their achievements and reveal the winner of each award.

Could you be taking home the trophy? Good luck!

Apply now

How do I win?

Register

To apply, you’ll need to:

  1. Register for the Undergraduate of the Year Awards
  2. Complete three SHL assessments: a personality questionnaire, situational judgement test and reasoning test

Deadline: 12pm (midday), Monday 25 January 2027.

Extended Deadline:
25
January
2027

Online tests

Deadline:
25
January
2027

Submit by

25

January

2027

Remember, please make sure you allow enough time to complete all three assessments before the deadline.

If you’re successful in progressing to the next stage, we’ll be in touch by 26 February 2027 with details of what happens next.

Assessment

If you successfully pass the initial application and screening stage, your application will be reviewed by Skyscanner.

From there, you could be invited to take part in networking, interviews, an assessment centre or other activities designed to help you showcase your skills and get to know Skyscanner.

Full details will be given to successful students.

Grand final

Made it to the final? Congratulations!

The final shortlisted students will be invited to join us at the Undergraduate of the Year Awards ceremony on 16 April 2027, where we’ll celebrate their achievements and reveal the winner of each award.

Could you be taking home the trophy? Good luck!

Apply now