Five teams of students from two Kilkenny schools will travel to the RDS in Dublin in January, hoping to impress the judges at the annual BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
Helping to reinforce the knowledge that there remains plenty of brilliant, young minds capable of driving the economy forward in the future, the competition has seen a record number of entries for next year's exhibition.
And Kilkenny will be well represented in the capital, with five Kilkenny projects qualifying from what has been recognised as a high level of competition.
Eleven students from Coláiste Pobal Osraí will present four projects, all in the Social and Behavioural Sciences category, with two projects in the junior age-group and two in the intermediate age-group.
And a group of three students from Kilkenny College will also get the opportunity to display their Technology project in the senior age-group.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn welcomed the increasing number of entries to the esteemed competition as a positive sign for the country's future.
"Research and innovation are critically important to our economy, and I commend everyone involved in the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition for providing a platform to stimulate and showcase Ireland's talent both nationally and internationally," he said.
The 2012 exhibition will take place in the RDS, Dublin from January 11 to 14.
