Strabane student innovation picks up UK award

A STUDENT from Strabane has scooped a major prize and propelled his innovation to the next level with vital seed money.

Computer Science student, Liam Harte (21), aims to turn fear into freedom with the Rephobia platform he developed while studying at Queen’s University Belfast.

Rephobia is a virtual reality therapy platform designed to help people overcome their phobias in a safe and supporting way.

It is aimed to make therapy more accessible and affordable, especially for people in rural or underserved areas, while giving therapists a powerful new tool to support their clients.

Liam won a prize for his innovation in Queen’s University Belfast’s Dragon’s Dem enterprise competition, with prizes provided by business education charity ESBF.

And on Friday, November 7, he impressed judges at the ESBF Champion of Champions event to take home the Big Ideas prize of £3,000 plus mentoring.

Liam said: “When I was standing on that stage, it hit me how far this idea has come.

"This win gives me the momentum to take Rephobia into its next chapter, with the prize funding and ESBF’s support helping us prepare for our first clinical trial in February.

“The mentoring, the ambition from my fellow finalists, and the whole atmosphere the final has strengthened my drive to push Rephobia toward real impact - because no one should have to live in fear, and with Rephobia, no one has to."

He continued: "Phobias are one of the most common mental health conditions, yet effective treatment is often hard to access because traditional exposure therapy can be expensive, hard to arrange, or simply too daunting.

“With Rephobia, patients can face their fears step by step inside immersive virtual environments, guided by a trained therapist.

"Whether it’s a fear of spiders, flying, or public speaking, our platform allows people to practise in realistic but controlled scenarios, building confidence without the risks or logistics of real-world exposure.

“I was inspired by my own experience with phobias and OCD.

"I know how isolating and overwhelming fear can be, and I wanted to create something that gives people a safe, supportive way to face it.”

Winners will also receive mentoring from business leaders who are members of the Sainsbury Management Fellows network, plus CV packages from PurpleCV and entrepreneurial books from sponsors.

The event, hosted by TV presenter and engineer Rob Bell, is the culmination of a year of ESBF-sponsored enterprise competitions held across UK universities, with thousands of undergraduate and graduates taking part.

Each year, ESBF champions business education for engineers and supports universities by giving them grants to award prizes to engineering and science students who develop ideas that can make a positive impact on society.

For more information about the competition, visit: www.esbf.org.uk