LANCASTER STUDENT INNOVATION SHORTLISTED FOR NATIONAL AWARD

A group of Lancaster University engineering students have been shortlisted for a prestigious national award for their innovative eco-friendly parasol.

The Parasolar team created their smart and luxurious parasol invention on their way to winning their university’s enterprise competition, funded by charity EIBF.

Some seven members of the original team are now pressing ahead with the venture and will compete against nine other teams from across the UK in the EIBF Champion of Champions Competition.

The team comprises 21-year-olds Trudie Morrison, Jonathan Sharp, Hugh Lea, Natalie Chigwedere, Ano Chirongoma, Baraa Elraya and 23-year-old Muhamad Adam Bin Muhamad Sukhami.

Trudie said their innovation was inspired by Lancaster University’s green campus, adding: “Rather than inventing something from scratch, we took a mundane object and transformed it into something more desirable.

“Unlike typical parasols, Parasolar creates a comfortable and convenient environment for its customers even in the most remote locations. Its self-sufficient power source offers up a sustainable solution to improve outdoor enjoyment no matter the time of day.

“The canopy is embedded with high-efficiency solar panels that generate clean energy all day long. The energy is stored in a powerful battery built into the base, providing reliable power to the LED lights and x2 USB slots, even after the sun sets.”

The team says the product is a perfect choice for event venues, beach fronts, cafés or any outdoor space looking to enhance outdoor customer experiences.

The Champion of Champions grand final will take place at the Royal Academy of Engineering on Friday 8 November, where the Parasolar team will compete for a share of the £16,500 prize pot, providing vital seed money to help winners develop their innovation.

Winners will also receive mentoring from business leaders who are members of the Sainsbury Management Fellows network, plus CV packages from PurpleCV and entrepreneurial books from Cambridge University Press and Double your Price, an award-winning book by David Falzani MBE, which covers how pricing works with practical insights, tools and actionable guidance.

The event, hosted by TV presenter and engineer Rob Bell, is the culmination of a year of EIBF-sponsored enterprise competitions held across UK universities, with thousands of undergraduate and graduates taking part.

Each year, EIBF champions business education for engineers and supports universities by giving them grants to award prizes to engineering students who develop ideas that can make a positive impact on society.

On being shortlisted for the grand final, Trudie said: “We have good confidence in our business idea and seek the opportunity to demonstrate that our team has what it takes to turn a concept into a viable business.

“Business embodies turning engineering from an enjoyable research subject to a profitable enterprise. Good engineers are capable of designing anything that surrounds their specialty, but a great engineer is able to channel their creativity and transform it into a business.”

Professor Allan Rennie, Director of Engagement for the School of Engineering who runs the EIBF Competition at Lancaster University, said: “Ideas that came forward from the fourteen participating groups in this year’s competition were very strong, and the panel had a very difficult decision to make when deciding where the prize money should be awarded.

“The engagement and passion of the pitch from the Parasolar team, combined with their prototype model and virtual demonstration, really made them stand out as frontrunners, and worthy of investment of the EIBF funding, to further develop their concepts.”