Innovation & Enterprise

MTU Student Entrepreneurship Supports

Do you want to be your own boss? Are you unsure of the next steps to take for your business idea? MTU has many supports and activities to turn your business idea into a reality. These supports are available through the Innovation & Enterprise Office and are available to all MTU students, regardless of campus location, course, or year of study.

Supports

• Student Inc. is Ireland’s longest running student accelerator programme which gives potential student entrepreneurs’ access to office space, training, expert mentoring as well as €4,000 in seed funding. Student Inc. has been running in MTU since 2011 and runs annually from early June to late August. ATU, UL,

TUS and UCC students can also join this programme! • The Rubicon Centre in MTU Cork and Tom

Crean Centre in Kerry are 2 leading incubation centres home to over 70 start-ups. The Centres provide support to students by offering guidance and advice through student referrals.

The student makerspace which gives students access to collaboration space to work with other students on business ideas and prototypes. The space has a 3D printer, 3D scanner and access to Photoshop, illustrator, and other specialised software packages. • Student Enterprise Interns: There are 2

Enterprise Interns who actively support, promote & develop a spirit of entrepreneur-ship amongst students attending MTU. The Interns run competitions and initiatives throughout the year to get students involved in entrepreneurship and encourage students to voice their business ideas to move the idea along the development path. You can apply to be an enterprise intern in your final year, this position includes part time work and a funded masters of your choosing. • Enterprise Society: This Society provides an inspiring and creative environment to allow students to develop any business ideas they may have. The Society is run by MTU students and is supported by the Student Enterprise

Interns.

Competitions

• Prize for Innovation: The MTU Prize for Innovation runs annually from September- March.

This competition is open to all students and course work/ project work can be used. Entries are accepted from individuals and teams.

In 2022 there was €13,000 awarded to various categories. • Innovation Challenge: Companies come to

MTU with MTU with a variety of opportunities and issues that they would like students to tackle. In 2022 60 students across MTU took part in solving challenges faced by The Irish

Navy, Cully & Sully, Clearstream, The Crann

Centre and Pepsi. • APPrentice: The APPrentice competition, which is run by the Faculty of Business and

Humanities, awards prizes for those with ideas for APPs. • Business Model Canvas (BMC): Many First

Year’s will meet one of the Enterprise Interns through the Creativity, Innovation & Teamwork module. As part of a team, you will come up with a business idea, use the BMC framework to see if the idea is viable and pitch your idea to the team in the Rubicon Centre.

• Innovation and Enterprise Month (March):

The month comprises of talks, workshops, events, and competitions all based around the theme of innovation and entrepreneur-ship. At the end of Innovation Week many of the prizes for the various competitions run throughout the year are awarded. • Keyloop competition: The Keyloop Competition represents an opportunity for university students to develop innovative tech-focused product ideas that can make an impact in the automotive industry. You don’t have to know much about fixing, buying or owning a car just a good idea to help the automotive industry.

Experts, learning materials and mentors are provided to help you turn your great idea into a winning product.

Contacts

Carole O’Leary: Regional Programme Manager for 3rd Level Student Entrepreneurship,

carole.oleary@mtu.ie

Mary-Jo Williams: Student Enterprise Intern mary.

williams@mycit.ie

You can find out more at www.enterprise.cit.ie