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Winners of International Technology Commercialization Competition Announced; Student Team From Imperial College London Secures Top Spot at Idea to Product 2003 International

November 11, 2003

Team Members: Vanh Dang, Donna Winderbank-Scott & Rachel Hames
not pictured, Faculty Adviser: Tim Meldrum
Congratulations!

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- Student entrepreneurs from the Imperial College London were awarded first place during the inaugural Idea to Product (I2P) 2003 International competition on November 8, 2003. Hosted by The University of Texas at Austin, the pioneering competition featured research and technology products presented by student teams from leading universities throughout the United States and United Kingdom.

The Imperial College London team unveiled a new asthma monitoring and treatment device, which works with existing inhalers to improve compliance with treatment and disease monitoring. The team will receive a $10,000 cash award provided by the Chair of Free Enterprise. The team was also invited to compete in the International MOOT CORP 2004 Competition, a business plan competition to be held in May 2004 at The University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business.

The University of Texas at Austin team secured second place earning $5,000. The Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory School of Law team earned third place winning $2,000.

Presentations from the university teams represented an array of products and areas of research expertise, including rapid prototyping and manufacturing technology, computer accessibility software, health care applications, intellectual property law and solutions for e-government. Competitors who participated in I2P 2003 International presented innovative, yet untapped technologies for emerging markets:

- Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory School of Law: Revolutionary computer interface and software that assists the visually impaired through colors, sounds and stimuli.

- Imperial College London: Inhalit, a lifesaving asthma-monitoring device designed to provide reassurance in the palm of your hand.

- Penn State University: Sol-AidTM, a simple-to-use electronic device that monitors accumulated ultra-violet (UV) rays to let users know when they have been in the sun too long -- targets estimated 42 million Americans who will develop skin cancer in their lives.

- Purdue University: Judicial Database Systems (JDS), custom designed software for county probation departments alleviating resources spent by country governments.

- Stanford University: Project from Stanford Digital Vision program allowing Africans living abroad to easily negotiate and purchase products and services, including health care plans, for their families at home.

- The University of Texas at Austin - Advanced Laser Composites (ALC) technology to rapidly and economically manufacture reaction-bonded silicon carbide parts - targets the $375 million U.S. metal casting industry (ALC is a manufacturer for the industry).

The international competition was conceived by Dr. Steve Nichols, associate vice president for research at The University of Texas at Austin, and John N. Doggett, director of Executive Education Entrepreneurship Programs and senior lecturer at the McCombs School of Business, to enhance cross-disciplinary studies in entrepreneurship, research, technology-based product development and emerging markets.

Idea to Product complements the successful MOOT CORP competition at The University of Texas at Austin, the world's original and largest student business plan competition, started by Texas MBAs in 1984.

In the same tradition, University of Texas students Eric Shieck, Amit Garg and Richard Heller created a campus-wide Idea to Product competition in 2001, with help from Dr. Nichols, to further technology development and commercialization activities for students. As it expands to include other universities, Idea to Product remains one of many University of Texas entrepreneurial activities to encourage faculty, students and business leaders to promote innovations and work together to move research ideas into prototypes and products.

About Idea to Product (I2P) 2003 International

I2P 2003 International is hosted by The University of Texas at Austin and sponsored by the Murchison Chair of Free Enterprise. The College of Engineering, the McCombs School of Business, the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurial Research and the IC2 Institute at The University of Texas at Austin co-sponsored the competition. Industry sponsors include Baker Botts L.L.P., Gray Cary, Jenkens & Gilchrist, National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA), PetersGroup Public Relations and Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati.

I2P teams are comprised of students from pharmacy, liberal arts, natural sciences, business, law and other disciplines who work together to identify technology innovations within university communities and to create and present commercialization plans for these potential new products. Participants are eligible for awards for further product development and invitations to participate in business plan events like The University of Texas MOOT CORP Competition in May 2004. For more information, please visit http://www.ideatoproduct.org.

Hosts	Partners and Sponsors
	Selig Fund in Entrepreneurial Studies Roden Center of Entrepreneurship