Students share big ideas with business

Business leaders and social entrepreneurs will have a unique chance to swap creative ideas with tomorrow’s student innovators at a showcase event in Cardiff next week.

Organised by Cardiff University Innovation Network, the event brings together young entrepreneurs and social enterprise innovators to explore opportunities for growing ideas that build a better world.

Speakers include Adam Dixon, CEO of Phytoponics – a revolutionary patent-pending hydroponics growing system with the power to transform commercial global agriculture – and Dan Swygart, founder of TrekinHerd - the award-winning adventure app for backpackers and outdoor sport enthusiasts.

They’ll be joined by researchers Mohamed Binesmael, a PhD student from the University’s BRE Institute of Sustainable Engineering, who will talk about Smart Roads for Driverless Cars, and Guillermo Menedez, who’ll address the Future of Engineering Materials.

Fellow engineer Professor Adrian Porch, who champions academic work across disciplines, will talk about the University’s highly successful student Da Vinci Awards.

Sam Stainton and a team from Enactus - a global non-profit and community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives – completes the line-up at the Wednesday evening (18 March) event.

“This event is a great opportunity for business leaders to meet some amazing student entrepreneurs and brilliant young researchers with ideas that can change our planet,” said Dr Nick Bourne, Head of Commercial Development at Cardiff University.

“Open to all, this evening offers a real opportunity to find out about how we develop innovation across the University, and how your organisation can work with us to bring ideas to life. Case studies will highlight the range of activities and businesses developed by our students and graduates, and we’ll show how, with support from organisations and like yourselves they're making a real impact globally.”

The event, from 18.30 to 20.30hrs in the University’s Optometry building, includes light refreshments and post-event networking.

It forms part of a week-long Student Innovation Festival at the University, designed to showcase great student ideas and new ways of working.

To book your place, go to the event page on Eventbrite.