SUDBURY – Are you a Cambrian student with a mind-blowing idea, a new way to adapt an old concept or a business plan that is set for success in 2021?
The Cambrian Student Innovation Challenge - Powered by RBC Future Launch - wants to hear from you.
“Cambrian is one of the leading colleges for research and development in Canada,” says Mike Commito, Director of Cambrian R&D, Cambrian’s Applied Research department. “Right here on campus we’ve got bright minds with amazing ideas – we want to see those ideas become reality.”
About the Cambrian College Student Innovation Challenge powered by RBC Future Launch
This annual competition is open to Cambrian College students as an avenue for promoting innovation and entrepreneurship on campus.
How does it work?
Cambrian College students looking to pitch an innovative idea, product or service are invited to enroll in the competition. Once students are enrolled, they must participate in four mandatory workshops about market research, ideation, entrepreneurialism and preparing a pitch. Students are supported by faculty from the Business program before pitching to a panel of judges made up of representatives from Cambrian College and external partners.
Students with the top ideas are awarded cash prizes to help them move forward with product development or to help establish their small business.
During last year’s inaugural Cambrian Student Innovation Challenge, the winning entry was called Smart Vision, a device created by a team of four Cambrian students
which uses machine vision to detect objects and recognize people’s faces to assist visually impaired people. Other prize-winning entries included an augmented reality app to help Cambrian students navigate the campus, and Hunger Connect, a concept that uses social media and community networks to help people get discounts on food through bulk ordering.
This year, RBC joined as the title sponsor and first prize sponsor for the Cambrian Student Innovation Challenge, committing $30,000 over the next three years.
“We’re very thankful for RBC’s support of the Cambrian Student Innovation Challenge as it will allow us to continue fostering entrepreneurial spirit,” says Commito. “Innovation is so crucial to the success of today’s business. We want to do our part to ensure interested students are exposed to this throughout their studies.”
This year’s Cambrian Student Innovation Challenge will take place virtually on April 29, 2021. Registration has begun – and if you are a student looking for more information or to register, simply visit: https://cambriancollege.ca/events/cambrian-student-innovation-challenge/.
Interested students can also email cody.cacciotti@cambriancollege.ca.
In addition to title sponsor RBC, Cambrian College would like to that the following supporting partners of the Cambrian Student Innovation Challenge:
- XPS Consulting and Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (2nd Place Prize Sponsors)
- Sofvie
- HLS Hard-Line
- Netspectrum
- Milman Industries
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Cambrian College is Northern Ontario’s largest college, with more than 80 programs. Cambrian’s main campus is in Greater Sudbury, with satellite centres in Espanola and Little Current.
Media contact:
Dan Lessard
Manager, Communications
705-566-8101, extension 6302
705-929-0786 c
Daniel.lessard@cambriancollege.ca
2021-08