What is MTU Innovation Challenge?
The MTU Innovation Challenge is an online extra-curricular student innovation programme which is a problem-solving experience, given industry-specific challenges by external companies. Many SME, multinational, governmental, and NGO stakeholders have participated in the programme over the years, giving students real-life industry problems to brainstorm solutions to.
Students are also provided with mentors that support the students in regards to information and contacts they have access to, which may help them in their given challenge. The Innovation Challenge would not be possible without the endless support and mentoring the students receive from MTU staff across professional services and academic departments.
Here at the Rubicon Centre, a number of businesses with us have helped in providing these challenges such as Swyft Energy and EirData.
Background-
Established 2017 in MTU Cork campus, the programme was commenced on-campus before the pandemic changed everything. Of course, COVID-19 caused an upturn in absolutely everything, the movement from in-person to online life caused a huge impact on education specifically. However, online delivery allowed MTU students across all campuses to participate in the programme, and in addition this also allowed MTU to enable international inclusion with academic partners Endicott College, Massachusetts and the Ingenium consortium where many EU universities are participating along with us such as Spain, France, and Germany. The increase in participants, mentors, and stakeholders this year is fantastic and has come with many benefits.
MTU Innovation Challenge Timeline-
The Innovation Challenge 2024 commences in mid-January for a duration of 8 weeks. Students are divided into groups, and external stakeholders provide each group with a different challenge that they may face within their organisation, presenting students with the opportunity to solve this challenge. Students are also provided with mentors with extensive experience, providing them with access to internal and external contacts that would supply the students with additional useful information in solving their given challenge.
At the end of the 8 week period, students are given the opportunity to present their solutions and recommendations to senior management of the external stakeholders, participating in a Q&A also. The challenge proposers probe, question, and interrogate the students for reasoning and technology behind their proposed solutions. The final event is hybrid, giving everybody the opportunity to be involved.
Student Feedback-
Last year, we had received student feedback which was uniformly positive. Requesting students to identify their top three skills they have learned throughout the experience, below shows results via a “word cloud” survey. Thankfully, students had an excellent and educational experience!
Academic Awards for Participation-
Academic Awards for Participation-
Upon completion of the Innovation Challenge, all participants receive a digital badge. Students are also able to register for the Innovation Challenge module.
For MTU students, completion of the Innovation Challenge also gains student credits under the MTU Edge Awards. The MTU Edge Awards is a graduate development framework for MTU students which seeks to enhance student engagement, strengthen industry relations and further enrich students’ emersion in society. There are three levels of EDGE awards- bronze, silver and gold. Students who participate in the Innovation Challenge receive the gold award.
