UQ Ventures Industry Challenge has been shortlisted as a Finalist in the Engagement Australia 2024 Excellence Awards in the category of Award for Excellence in Industry Engagement.
Different organisations each year partner with the UQ Ventures Industry Challenge to tackle the complex problems that define our time. So far this program has addressed Renewable Energy, Water Scarcity, Food Waste, the Housing Crisis, and, in 2024, Ocean Innovation.
The success of the UQ Ventures Industry Challenge demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. Students from various fields are brought together with industry partners, government, academics, and researchers to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems.
"The Industry Challenge at UQ Ventures stands as a testament to the power of effective partnerships between academia and industry," Mr Nimrod Klayman, UQ Head of Entrepreneurship said.
"By fostering innovation and addressing real-world problems through a collaborative approach, the challenge delivers significant benefits to students, industry partners, and the broader community.
"The program’s strong partnership and co-design methodology, coupled with its emphasis on continuous engagement and sustainability, ensures a long-term impact and capacity for expansion.
"This initiative prepares students for future leadership roles and provides industry partners with valuable insights and innovative solutions, making a meaningful difference."
This year’s UQ Ventures Industry Challenge Pitch Showcase was held Tuesday, 15 October with top teams diving into the future of our oceans and pitching solutions to pressing ocean problems.
Port of Brisbane was delighted to be part of the 2024 Industry Challenge.
"The Port of Brisbane is intrinsically linked to the oceans and marine environment, so the Ocean Innovation theme was a natural fit," Brendan Connell said, Port of Brisbane Executive General Manager Sustainability & Corporate Relations.
"These are complex, global problems that require bold and innovative thinking, which is what the students and teams brought to the table.
"The Challenge provided industry partners with opportunities to share their knowledge, expertise and insights, helping ensure solutions aren’t just creative, but also viable."
"Our team thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to engage through panel discussions, mentoring and judging – being part of the process from start to finish was incredibly rewarding."
The Engagement Australia 2024 Excellence Awards will be announced in Melbourne on 11 November.
Winners
- HexaRoot: An innovative product to better stabilise river banks, $5,000 – Khayil Matthew, Wan Qi Goh, Nadya Humaira Affandy, Tomoki Ogasawara, Sajal Gangrade
- We Sea Change: A device to capture and breakdown microplastics in washing machines, that can be installed by home owners, $3,000 – Kezia Tjandra, Maria Laksmi, Windy Putri, Ahmad Rofai, Yuli Riadi. We Sea Change also won the People's Choice Award.
- SedimentWatch: Satellite-based solutions for sediment and ecosystem monitoring, $2,000 – Peleg Kark, Yuval Kark.
