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Young entrepreneurs - business planning for ideas in science

5 December 2006

A team of young scientists from Cranfield University have scooped first prize in the first Environment Young Entrepreneurs Scheme (YES) competition.

The Cranfield team impressed the judges with their business acumen and strategy for creating a company - named Green Switch - to develop their ideas for an environmental product. They came up with 'BioCube', a microbial fuel cell that would turn animal waste into electricity, helping farmers to use up their waste and reduce their fuel bills. Potentially, the market in the UK alone would be massive. And by combining waste disposal and electricity generation in one product, if developed it would have a definite advantage. The scientists were awarded £750 for their business ideas.

Team leader, Frank Noppel, said, "The competition was a great way to test our entrepreneurial spirit. We've come up with an idea, researched the market, developed a business plan and now we're much more confident that we could actually start our own businesses in the future. BioCube is just an idea but there may be people somewhere who could develop it and turn it into a reality."

The team competed against four other teams in this first Environment YES competition, run this year as part of the established Biotechnology YES. The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has supported the Young Entrepreneurs Scheme in the past but this is the first time there has been an environmental science stream. There were 51 teams taking part in the overall competition.

Poppy Leeder, who manages the Knowledge Transfer Funding Scheme for NERC, said, "This is a really good opportunity to start training scientists in entrepreneurial awareness. I'm very pleased that this year we have been able to open up the competition for environmental scientists to take part."

Further information

Environment YES:
Marion O'Sullivan
NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411561
Mob: 07917 557215

NERC Knowledge Transfer Funding:
Poppy Leeder
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411974
Mob: 07917 456694

Biotechnology YES:
Matt Goode
Press Officer
Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council
Tel: 01793 413299

Cranfield University:
Press office
Tel: 01234 754999

Notes

1. The five members of the 'Green Switch' team are all in their final year of their PhD or equivalent course at Cranfield University. They are:
Frank Noppel, Marco Mucino, Hannah Gardner, Kevin Banks and Greg Ameyugo,

2. The Young Entrepreneurs Scheme tests the business planning, knowledge and innovative thinking of the teams that enter. The ideas presented for potential products or services are hypothetical and are not scientifically tested.

3. Biotechnology YES has been running since 1995. Research has found that young scientists participating in the competition are more likely to enter business roles than other young scientists.

Press release: 66/06

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