After a number of days of creative exercises, hard work and liters of coffee and hand disinfection, three winners were crowned last Monday in the idea competition Innovation Boot Camp on campus in Umeå. The event is organized by the Innovation Office at Umeå University and Coompanion Västerbotten together with Umeå's entire innovation system.
Innovation Boot Camp is a multi-day event with an introductory idea development workshop, a working weekend filled with business coaching and a final closing on Monday. A jury consisting of representatives from Umeå's innovation system reviewed and evaluated the received entries to finally select three winners who, in addition to the honor, also share 17,500 SEK
The winners of the 2020 Innovation Boot Camp:
In the first place - Braille it! - Emil Söderlind and Mattias Hagberg
Efficient Braille generation and production. Accessibility in society for those with visual impairments is currently limited, which we solve by using cutting-edge technology so that the customer can easily, quickly and cheaply order their own signs with braille - Braille - in degradable plastic.
In second place - KemFusk - Maria Sapounidou and Aikaterini Nasi
An app for knowledgeable consumer power about the environmental and chemical risks of goods.
In third place - D-Verify - Dagny Signorelli, Stephanie Allden, Wirba Nelson and Muweh Nelson Akonjuen
Find, donate, verify. D-Verify is an app that will make it easier and safer for individuals to contribute to small-scale development projects, and to follow the progress.
Emil Söderlind and Mattias Hagberg, behind the winning idea Braille it were completely satisfied:
- The event was crazy fun! All input from the advisors was worth its weight in gold. Sure, there are question marks to sort out, but it feels like the idea can scale up, down and sideways. It is clear that it is very fun to win, you are tagged on to continue. Maybe it will be 50 kg degradable PLA plastic for 3D printers of the win!
This year's edition was carried out like so many other events under prevailing circumstances as a hybrid event with the opportunity to participate both physically and digitally. Johannes Pers, innovation and business advisor at the Innovation Office at Umeå University, is pleased with both the implementation, the collaboration with all partners and with the exciting and sustainable ideas that were developed during the event.
- It has been fantastic fun to be part of and see how ideas as well as individuals and teams develop in just a few days. That there was also a great focus on sustainability among the ideas and many international participants this year was extra fun, as diversity adds both new angles and a different dynamic.
Innovation Boot Camp is organized by:
The Innovation Office at Umeå University and Coompanion Västerbotten together with: Almi, A Working Lab, BIC Factory, eXpression Umeå, Innovationsslussen at Region Västerbotten, SLU Holding, Umeå Biotech Incubator, Uminova Innovation and Venture Cup.
