PRIZES totalling £6000 have been scooped by five entrepreneurs from across Scotland in the Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) Fresh Ideas awards.
Among the ideas at Scotland’s longest running early-stage ideas competition were a cultivation system that grows vegetables using seawater on the country’s coasts, camera-free sensor technology that captures 3D images and a process that recycles leather waste into paper.
As well as the prize money, the winners will receive ongoing mentoring from SIE’s business advisers.
In addition to the main awards, two special prizes were presented – one to the developer of an app supporting women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects up to one in 10 women and often goes undiagnosed, and the second to a software developer whose platform digitises the supply chain for food and drink businesses.
Alexander Bowen, founder of IMERAI, and developer of the camera-free 3D imaging technology to carry out precise mapping in privacy-conscious locations, said: “There is a long line of successful entrepreneurs who have started their journeys having won Fresh Ideas, so it is very encouraging to know we are on the right path. The support provided by SIE’s network of experienced advisers has been critical for where we are as a start-up in Scotland.”
SIE is funded by the Scottish Funding Council to support entrepreneurial students through competitions and tailored support, and to help all students develop innovation and enterprise skills that will lead to rewarding futures.
Fiona Godsman, chief executive of SIE, said: “From ideas that champion sustainability to mitigate human impact on our environment, to a cancer research tool that supports the targeted development of new drugs, this year’s winners are creating businesses that can have a positive impact on society.
“In this rapidly changing world, we are committed to helping even more students to develop the skills and confidence they will need to embrace the opportunities of the future, not just as innovative entrepreneurs but also as talented and future-ready employees.”
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