To come up with a product or service, based on the technology of reverse tactile communication and to make its business model, such task was to be solved today to the participants of the regional stage of the All-Russian Championship “Iron Entrepreneur”.
60 participants – students of Kazan universities and colleges, united in 13 teams - have competed for the victory in the Championship.
Within an hour, the participants were creating a product (service) and were working its business model, were measuring the amount of the prospective market, were defining the target audience and methods of promotion for a new product, as well as were preparing a presentation to the expert committee.
The result of hour-long brainstorming was the presentation of the business idea to the jury in the format of an elevator pitch (3 minute presentation). The participant’s works were evaluated by the CEO of Technopark “Idea” Sergey Yushko, General Manager of Technopolis “Himgrad”– General Director of JSC “Management company “Idea Capital” Alexey Grushin, Head of the Project Office of investment and venture company Pulsar Venture Albert Usmanov, Director for the Development of SmartHead Maxim Busarev, Head of Business Incubator of IT-Park Lenar Khalikov and Deputy Chief of the Department of Target Programs of the Investment and Venture Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan Olga Shibaeva.
The projects, presented to the jury, were mixed: one team offered to create a costume for the flight on the still unconquered planets, while the other was preparing the sensors for motorists and the third offered equipment for training athletes.
“It is very difficult task to prepare a project for one hour. And most of the teams have coped with this task. It is very pleased with teams that during this time have been able to create a product that solves a specific problem, - said, having become acquainted with the projects, Maxim Busarev. - But still I would like to emphasize that the presentation in the format of the elevator pitch involves a short and vivid presentation of the main thesis. Moreover, the theses were supposed to meet in 100-150 words. Unfortunately, the format has not been met by many participants”.
Albert Usmanov advised the participants to more clearly identify their role in the team: “There were projects where clearly it was evident that one was engaged in the technical part of the question, the second party – the economic, the third - the organizational component. Everyone was busy with his business, so the project was more detailed and comprehensive”.
The results of the Championship were summed by Sergey Yushko, who noted the ability of participants to notice global trends and to protect their project.
According to the results of the competition the winner has become the team of students and postgraduates of Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering, presented the project of the development of CycliSaf pads on bicycle handlebars with the function of vibro notification.
“Acquainted with the case, we immediately decided that the team of builders has to develop something in this area. So first we wanted to apply the case in the construction of buildings, but then switched to the construction of roads”, - said team member Victoria Maltseva.
The winning team will represent Tatarstan in the Russian Championship “Iron Entrepreneur” on June 5-6, 2015 in Moscow.
Note that the Championship is organized by Business Incubator of National Research University of Higher School of Economics, Management of Innovative Activity of NRU HSE (Moscow) with the support of Innovative Technopark “Idea”.
