Introduction

Students are innovative, inquisitive and entrepreneurial. The three universities of Enterprise South Island recognised the importance in involving students is our programmes. Below is a summary of how students from each university have been involved.

Partnering for Innovation Studentships

The University of Otago Partnering for Innovation programme runs two types of studentships. For Partnering for Innovation Summer Studentships, students research the commercial potential of academics research ideas. For the Bright Ideas Studentships, students research and evaluate their own business ideas.

Partnering for Innovation Summer Studentships

Over the summer of 2009-2010 six students from a range of academic backgrounds (Science, Health Science, Applied Science and Commerce) were awarded summer studentships with Partnering for Innovation. These students had the opportunity to work with the Partnering for Innovation staff, learn about the processes involved and factors that have to be considered when evaluating commercial opportunities for research ideas. This includes intellectual property, market research and evaluating routes to market for real ideas.

Students work in pairs or small groups and are mentored by the Partnering for Innovation team. They learn analysis and research skills required to develop a commercial venture by developing business concepts based on real IP. Over the course of the summer the students researched 23 ideas. The Partnering for Innovation team is in the processes of working with academics to decide how to develop the ideas further.

One of the sucessful projects that was found through the Partnering for Innovation Studentship programme is the micro solar collector.

Bright Ideas Studentships

Bright Ideas Studentships are designed to give students an opportunity to work on an idea of their own, while being mentored by the Entrepreneur in Residence, and Partnering for Innovation staff. Over the summer of 2009-2010 three students were awarded Bright Ideas Studentships. These students were guided through the process of evaluating their own ideas as potential businesses. One of these ideas has developed into a sucessful start up company, Virtuoso Online. For more information on this business please visit http://www.mewzet.com.

For more information on either of these studentships please visit Partnering for Innovation.

Venture Out - Lincoln's Entrepreneurship Challenge

Venture Out Lincoln is a competition for Lincoln students that creates commercial opportunity and investment from intellectual property developed within the Lincoln science precinct.

Outputs in 2008-9 were:

40 students (ranging from undergrad through to post doc) participating

31 high value IP commercialisation projects

$900k Pre-seed Accelerator Fund (PSAF) investment

$550k further seed investment secured or being negotiated

1 student start-up company

Venture Out Lincoln draws upon a pipeline of technology emanating from Lincoln University, Lincoln Ventures Ltd and the three Crown Research Institutes.

Each of these projects have been conducted by aspiring young under and post graduate students from Lincoln University. There have been over 40 students involved in Venture Out in the last 2 years and all of these students have been installed with the skills to be young successful entrepreneurs.

For more information on Venture Out please visit www.ventureout.ac.nz.

One of the successful projects that has been put through the Venture Out programme is a large sample DNA extractor.

Entré

Entré is a non-profit organisation run by students at the University of Canterbury. The goal of entré is to foster entrepreneurial spirit on campus, to encourage innovation and educate students on the basic elements of business development. Entré runs competitions and events for students throughout the year.

The Enterprise South Island Bright Ideas programme at the University of Canterbury sponsored entré workshops open to all students at the University of Canterbury and the Christchurch Institute Polytechnic of Technology. At these workshops students evaluated and identified commercial possibilities for technologies and intellectual property developed at the University.

For more information on entré please visit http://www.entre.canterbury.ac.nz/.