Innovative ideas that could radically improve our health were included in the short-listed finalists of the University of Bristol’s New Enterprise Competition announced today. If developed further, we could soon see personalised healthcare plans and new food supplements to improve conditions such as high cholesterol on the market. Surgeons could also be using replacement ligaments made from our own bone marrow in future knee operations.
Not only could we be healthier, but we could all be safer too. Other short-listed concepts include new chemicals that could be used to develop graffiti resistant paint as well as an idea to detect unattended items in airports other public places.
Our leisure time could also be improved with a new publication that promises to be the ‘Private Eye’ of the world of science and technology as well as software to deliver information specific to our location via our mobile phone – imagine the difference that could make to a holiday! Even our babies’ recreation time could be improved with a sound system for the nursery that they can control themselves.
In all, nine teams were short-listed from disciplines as varied as bioscience, psychology, chemistry and clinical medicine. A further idea, from computer science, is an automated laser technology that measures the dimensions of vehicles to be loaded onto roll-on/roll off carriers.
This annual competition is designed to inspire innovative business ideas and is open to staff, students and recent graduates of the University of Bristol. There is a £30,000 prize fund including cash, free professional business advice and managed office space to help make business ideas a commercial success.
Each team of finalists, as judged by a panel of experts from sponsors Business West, Deloitte, Fortis Bank, Osborne Clarke, ST Microelectronics and Sulis Innovation, has won an interim prize of £200. They will now be invited to prepare full business plans and a presentation, for which professional business advice will be available. The winners will be announced at the University’s annual Enterprise Dinner in June.
The New Enterprise Competition is part of the University of Bristol’s commitment to combining its excellence in research and innovation with a vibrant enterprise culture. The University is working with government, industry and other partner organisations to encourage the growth of knowledge-based businesses in the South West.
In particular, Bristol has joined forces with the universities of Bath, Southampton and Surrey to establish a unique partnership to encourage enterprise, build new businesses and work more effectively with industry. As research-intensive universities, these enterprise activities derive from their research base, although support is also available to entrepreneurs from outside of the universities. With a combined research staff of 6,400 and research budget of £266 million, the resulting contribution to the UK ‘knowledge economy’ is far greater than could be achieved individually. The partnership offers:
- Enterprise training and education
- Support for new businesses from within and external to the universities
- Access to innovative research that could lead to new products and processes