Applications are now open for UQ staff and students to submit their entrepreneurial ideas or early stage research projects for UniQuest’s annual Trailblazer competition, which offers $40,000 in cash prizes to move innovative ideas forward.
For six years UniQuest has run Trailblazer as a means of identifying and rewarding original and innovative ideas which have the potential to benefit the community, industry or business as well as generate a financial return.
The chance to win prizes in both Open and Student categories is complemented by the opportunity for finalists to learn how to develop their proposals into five-minute presentations, which will then be pitched to a panel of commercialisation experts.
According to David Henderson, UniQuest’s Managing Director, Trailblazer aims to stimulate and motivate entrepreneurial activity, with entries encouraged from all UQ research disciplines, whether they relate to businesses, products, services or scientific and communication technologies.
“Through Trailblazer, UniQuest helps university researchers to have their ideas profiled, especially those that could make a significant impact on the world,” Mr Henderson said.
“Working with UniQuest staff to refine their pitches can help finalists develop a better awareness of the commercial prospects for their work.
"The practice of putting their ideas together and pitching them to the panel can attract expressions of interest from potential investors and licensing partners.
"We are currently working with a number of previous finalists to drive their successful ideas into rewarding commercial ventures.”
Dr Vaughan Clarkson from the School of ITEE entered his low-complexity signalling method for the transmission of multi-media files along copper wire-based broadband services in a previous Trailblazer competition.
In March this year Dr Clarkson’s technology was licensed to US-based telecommunications developer, Rim Semiconductor. A research contract for further work on the technology’s development was included in the licensing agreement.
The commercialisation of Dr Clarkson’s intellectual property will benefit more than one billion end users around the world who rely on the performance of copper-based infrastructure to achieve their communication and business goals.
Dendrimed Pty Ltd is a start-up company formed around technology that was submitted to Trailblazer by the AIBN’s Dr Michael Monteiro and Dr Mike Whittaker. With UniQuest’s support the company attracted a COMET grant towards developing next-generation polymer nanostructures for in vivo drug delivery, and the company recently signed a term sheet for pre-seed investment funding.
Mindfields, a self-regulatory intervention for at-risk adolescents developed by Associate Professor Annemaree Carroll from the School of Education, impressed the 2006 Trailblazer judging panel.
Mindfields’ use of interactive DVDs, journal writing, social modelling activities, inspirational testimonies, and one-on-one counselling coupled with involvement of a support person, reflected an innovative and insightful approach to the challenge of helping young people make informed choices about their behaviour.
With trials successfully completed in 2007, UniQuest is now working with the researchers to commercialise this valuable intervention.
Other winning Trailblazer entries include:
• A product to help address medication swallowing difficulties
• A novel treatment for Type 1 Diabetes
• A biomaterial to prevent tumour metastasis to bone
• A cardiac muscle patch for heart failure reversal/prevention
• An customer behaviour-based data analysis method to detect and predict non-technical power utility losses
• A neonatal hearing screening device
• A biological control for one of Australia’s top 20 weeds
• A singing guide for first-time mothers
• A series of tests to measure social skills and self-awareness in people with brain injury
• A smart microphone for recording clear signals in noisy environments
• An audiovisual monitor for clinicians to better monitor depths of anaesthesia
• An advanced engine optimisation control system
Applications for this year’s Trailblazer must be submitted online and close on 25 June 2008. Finalists will be shortlisted on 9 July, with the winners announced on 22 July following the finalists’ pitches to the judging panel. More information is available on the UniQuest website: www.uniquest.com.au.
Media inquiries: Leanne Wyvill (3365 4307, 0409 767 199).
