Eighteen university teams, representing four continents and nine countries, will convene in Austin Nov. 5-6 for the 8th Annual Idea to Product® Global Competition.
The teams were invited to present their breakthrough technology commercialization plans and compete for $53,500 in cash prizes that may be used to advance their innovations, as well as a chance to enter the Global Venture Labs Investment Competition (formerly Moot Corp®).
Each year, the competition draws a large audience from Austin’s technology and entrepreneurial community. The global competition began in 2003 and is based off the Idea to Product® (I2P) competition started by The University of Texas at Austin in 2001. Both events give students the opportunity to move their technology ideas from concept to commercialization and since I2P started in Austin, countries around the world have hosted their own local competitions. Selected projects are invited to attend the global event.
The competition will feature three championship tracks and a technology showcase where attendees can see the teams’ innovative technologies.
Teams from Brazil, Japan and Italy, among other countries, will be represented in the competition and one team will represent The University of Texas at Austin.
Examples of some of the projects this year include: A telemedicine system which connects individuals in rural areas of Kenya to medical professionals; the use of nanotechnology to increase the efficiency of solar power; a carbon neutral bio-based material composite to replace glass fiber reinforced plastic; and an optical sensing platform that can detect explosives.
The projects will be judged by faculty and community entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and intellectual property attorneys.
The competition will be held at the Downtown Hilton Garden Inn Executive Meeting Center and is free and open to the public. A live webcast of the competition will also be available at the I2P Web site.
What: 8th Annual 2010 Idea to Product® Global Competition
Where: Downtown Hilton Garden Inn – Executive Meeting Center
When: Friday, Nov. 5, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Feedback Rounds
Saturday, Nov. 6
8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Ted Roden Championship Rounds
1:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m., Technology Showcase
3 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Ted Roden Awards Ceremony
Universities represented include:
The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, California Institute of Technology, Purdue University, Penn State, University of Michigan, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Florida-Gainesville, University of New Hampshire, as well as teams from Politecnico di Milano, Italy, RWTH Aachen, Germany, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, COTEC, Portugal, Universidade do Minho, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, University of Leuven, Belgium, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais/ Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil, Keio University, Japan, and City University, London.
About the Idea to Product® Competition:
The I2P® Global Competition is an early-stage technology commercialization plan competition hosted by the Murchison Chair of Free Enterprise at The University of Texas at Austin. The I2P® competition focuses on the education and creation of the next generation of technology entrepreneurs. Teams benefit from feedback from the entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, engineers and intellectual property attorneys on the judging panels. Previous teams have produced work that has increased research funding, licensing of technology and created new technology ventures. The competition has also served as a commercialization forum for faculty and members of the community. Faculty have been able to consider societal needs of technology and members of the community have been given an early preview of cutting-edge technology.
The Idea to Product® Global Competition is sponsored by the Cockrell School of Engineering, the College of Natural Sciences, several engineering departments, along with several student organizations. Supporters of the event include the National Science Foundation, National College Inventors and Innovators Alliance, The Texas Venture Labs Investment Competition (formerly MootCorp), the Austin Technology Incubator, the Office of Technology Commercialization, Matheson Keys Garsson & Kordzik, PLCC, and the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship.
For more information, contact: Jakub Felkl or Dr. Scott Collins, 512-232-4102,
