Teams of the best entrepreneurial students from Kent and two other universities have competed to produce business ideas for the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the first Eastern Academic Research Consortium (Eastern ARC) Start-Up Weekender.
Fifty students from all three Eastern ARC member universities – Kent, Essex and East Anglia – took part in two days of workshops, outdoor teambuilding activities and group sessions to develop their entrepreneurial skills at Mersea Island in Essex.
They were challenged to develop a business idea that covered one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development goals. Staff representatives from all three universities acted as mentors for the participating students.
On day two nine teams presented their business ideas to the judges, in the form of a presentation and seven-minute pitch with a Q&A from the panel.
The winning team, which included Kent students Irsa Ajmal (Masters, School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science) and Juliette Lumley (BA, School of Arts), focused on enhancing the rehabilitation and reintroduction of people convicted of crime back into society. The judges commended the high standard and credible ideas put forward.
As well as the winning proposal other ideas submitted included innovative social housing, alternative food sources, optimising home electricity usage and an app for neighbourhood interaction.
The University of Kent’s Hub for Innovation and Enterprise provides dedicated start-up support to staff, students and alumni from the University of Kent.