Thirty-three students chosen from the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition are taking part in an intensive business mentoring programme delivered by NovaUCD.
The BT Business of Science & Technology Programme aims to give secondary school students the commercialisation skills they will need to convert their innovative ideas into commercial opportunities.
Over the course of four days they will focus on developing a number of projects that stood out for their commercial potential at the exhibition in the RDS in January: a flexible, waterproof, inflatable flood barrier for domestic and commercial use; the potential of waste materials from hedgerow cuttings as a feasible biomass fuel; and DIY Wind Power – portable community generators for the Third World.
Learning from leading figures
At NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre in UCD, the students will learn from leading figures from a wide range of emerging and established organisations including: Aristo; Equinome; Bord Gais; Enterprise Ireland; IDA; HEA; Select Strategies; UCD and University of Ulster.
“There is amazing talent on display each year at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, and we are well placed to work with leading business leaders to pass on our business know-how and skills to the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. Working together, we can build a better future for Ireland,” said Colm O’Neill, managing director, Business, BT Ireland.
Each student will receive a certificate of achievement on completing the programme. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) will award the best individual and best group with one-week summer placements at University of Limerick (UL)/National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG).
Photo: Ciara Walsh, Colm O’Neill, managing director, Business, BT Ireland, Ruth Dargan, Caroline Gill, NovaUCD and Kate O’Regan. Ciara, Ruth and Kate are students from Loreto College, St Stephen’s Green, and the title of their project is ‘A smartphone app to calculate your carbon footprint’.
Article courtesy of Bizstartup.ie
