Queen’s student turns personal battle with phobias into life-changing virtual reality platform.. which is now in the running for a prestigious UK enterprise prize

A student from Northern Ireland is on a mission to help people overcome their phobias – and his innovation has been shortlisted for a national award.

Computer Science student Liam Harte, 21, aims to turn fear into freedom with his Rephobia platform 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. Now, he’ll compete against nine other talented teams from across the UK in ESBF’s Champion of Champions Competition.

Liam, from Strabane in County Tyrone, said: “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.”

The Champion of Champions grand final will take place at the Royal Academy of Engineering on Friday 7 November, where Liam will compete for a share of the £17,000 prize pot, providing vital seed money to help winners develop their innovation.

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.

On being shortlisted for the grand final, Liam said: “It’s an incredible platform to showcase Rephobia on a national stage, connect with mentors, and learn from other finalists. Personally, it represents how far I’ve come – from struggling with fear to now building something that helps others face theirs.

“Engineering and technology can solve huge problems, but without business skills, those ideas often stay in a lab. Learning how to pitch, budget, and plan allows students to turn ideas into real-world solutions that reach the people who need them most.”

Robbie Mulvenna-Jamison, Enterprise Development Officer at Queen’s University Belfast SU Enterprise, said: “QUB SU Enterprise is extremely proud of Liam’s success in making it to the final of this year’s ESBF Champion of Champions Competition. It is greatly rewarding to see Liam’s continued success which is testament to his passion, perseverance, and work ethic. Rephobia is an incredibly exciting innovation which is destined to positively impact the lives of many individuals.”