2005 Press Releases
UCC students demonstrate their entrepreneurial skills at the Enterprise Awards Final
University College Cork was well represented at the 2005 All-Island
Student Enterprise Awards Final, which was hosted this year by Cork
Institute of Technology. The competition, now in its 22nd
year, is designed to encourage innovation, promote enterprise and
foster a spirit of entrepreneurship among third level students, and is
sponsored jointly by Enterprise Ireland, Ulster Bank and Invest
Northern Ireland.
The overall College Entrepreneur award went to Queen's University
Belfast, who developed SmartScreen, a glare reduction technology that
minimises driver distraction. The Queen's University students
beat off stiff competition from UCC, who developed 'Gift', a white
bread with a low Glycemic Index that is suitable for diabetics.
The bread has cholesterol-lowering properties and as a result is
targeted at the health conscious consumer. The UCC 'Gift' team,
who study Food Business and Food Technology, consists of Alan
Humphries, Grace O'Brien, Sinead O'Connell, Shane O'Sullivan and Gary
Sheehan.
A team of MBS in Business Information Systems students won the
Postgraduates award. Dave Connolly, Donna Harrington, Eoin Ryan, Gemma
Coughlan and Naomi Wallis developed MediPharm, a Practice Management
System providing the ability to electronically transfer prescriptions
between General Practitioners (GPs) and pharmacies. A full working
prototype has already been designed, developed and tested by the
students.
Speaking at the presentation of the Awards, Minister Micheál Martin TD,
Minister for Enterprise trade & Employment, said: "The emergence of
a genuine culture of entrepreneurship in Ireland has been one of the
most satisfying elements of the economic success of the past decade.
The continuation and strengthening of this culture is crucial to the
positioning of Ireland as an advanced developed economy. These
awards are part of a process of fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship
at an early stage with third level students."
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