This week, I’d like to hand over my column to Peter Edgar, a colleague of mine at the Northern Ireland Science Park, who heads up our biggest innovation competition, INVENT.
“For centuries, people from Northern Ireland have been changing the world with their inventions. Given the small population of this place, it could be argued that per capita we’re one of the most creative and inventive places in the world.
Inventions as varied as the portable defibrillator, the ejector seat, Massey Ferguson tractors and even hot chocolate, all hail from the creative minds of people here. You might think it requires a very special talent or a particular kind of person, but in reality, we all have those “what if” moments.
What if I did it this way? Would it work better, faster or more efficiently? That’s innovation in its simplest form and any of us can do it, whether we’re a teenage computer whizz, a university researcher or someone who likes to tinker with stuff in their shed.
The next stage is generally the hard bit. Once you’ve come up with a workable solution to the “what if” question, the biggest challenge is how to turn it into something which other people could use to solve the same problem. How do you turn a great idea into a business (and eventually a business which will make money)?
Here’s where INVENT comes in. It’s a competition to find Northern Ireland’s inventions with the greatest commercial potential. There is a tempting £33,000 total prize fund, but what makes it really attractive is that, as part of the competition, the shortlisted finalists get matched up with mentors and expert advisors who take them on the journey towards commercialising their idea.
They become part of our Science Park ecosystem, which gives them direct access to our vast international network of like-minded entrepreneurs and innovators. Last year’s finalists took part on a unique tech mission to San Diego and San Francisco, the home of some of the world’s top innovators in science and technology and a gold-mine of expertise for our local start-ups.
INVENT 2015 has just been launched. We’re looking for anyone who is working on a prototype technology that they think could make a big impact and solve a problem. INVENT 2015, sponsored by Bank of Ireland UK, has six categories: Creative Media and Consumer Internet, Agri-Food, Life and Health, Engineering, Electronics and Enterprise Software.
Last year, we whittled 92 entries down to 6 winners which ranged from a microbial liquid which cleans up oil spills in soil and water; a safe approach to pesticides to improve global crop production; a new approach to giving vaccines in developing countries without an injection; smart bike lights which help us to cycle more safely and, conversely, an expat who returned home after 17 years in California to start a business focused on animation in films and gaming.
The overall INVENT 2014 winners were husband and wife team, Sean and Leona McAlister from Portglenone, who have created Plotbox, a software invention which has been likened to “Google Maps for cemeteries.” It’s one thing for us here in Northern Ireland to celebrate the achievements of our inventors but it’s another thing when the international community recognises it. After our California Tech Mission, Plotbox secured a place with one of the world’s most prestigious accelerator programmes, 500 Startups.
The deadline for entries for INVENT2015 is April 5th. (Visit www.invent2015.co/ for more information) The online application is quick and straightforward and we will be with you every step of the way. The winners of this year’s competition will be announced on 8th Oct at the INVENT Awards.
I think it’s fair to say: we can’t wait!”
