In April 2003 the first European Science Olympiad took place in Dublin City University in Ireland. In this competition second level students were asked to carry out a number of tasks involving biology, physics and chemistry. Students had qualified initially in competitions in one of these subjects and were organised into integrated teams which worked together to complete the tasks. This paper examines the background to the competition, describes aspects of the biological input in developing the tasks and discusses the value of the approach and its potential benefits in improving both interest levels in science and the quality of science education.