The MCI Creativity Award honors outstanding business and product ideas every year. 86 MCI students who want to show economic and social responsibility through their entrepreneurial spirit took part in this year's competition.
Michael Karbasch and Stefan Dobler, students of the Digital Business & Software Engineering bachelor program, won the MCI Creativity Award 2021 for their idea 'WASP'. WASP provides the rail industry with a software solution that automates the collection, processing and analysis of train data.
"The submissions convinced the entire jury with their enormous potential and promising market opportunities. We are pleased to support young motivated people with the MCI Creativity Award 2021 and thus accompany them on their way to independence," explains Michael Kraxner, Head of Research & Development at MCI.
In 54 submissions, students demonstrated their wealth of ideas, entrepreneurial potential and founding spirit. "The creative submissions reflect the diversity of the study and research programs offered at MCI as well as the business and social science disciplines as well as technology and life sciences," adds MCI Rector Andreas Altmann.
Marcus Hofer, Managing Director of the Startup.Tirol startup center, adds: "With Startup.Tirol, we support prospective founders in putting their business ideas on a solid stand and successfully launching their entrepreneurship with the right business model. The MCI Creativity Award is an important initiative that we are happy to support. We look forward to working with the founders!"
A jury of experts reviewed the business concepts in a multi-stage selection process and nominated the ten finalists. Due to the COVID-19 situation, the presentation of the ten most innovative business ideas took place online. This year, for the first time, two special prizes were awarded in addition to the five best entrepreneurial ideas: "Concept Most Ready for Implementation" and the special prize "Best Proof of Concept".
Program: https://www.mci.edu/en/media-en/news/3536-creativity-award-2021