Published on: Saturday, 06 March 2010

The 2010 CIT Prize for Innovation ceremony took place today at Cork Institute of Technology. Sponsored by the Cork County and City Enterprise Boards, the recipients received a total of €10,000 in prize money.

1st Prize and title of CIT Entrepreneur of the Year went to team Hydrostack, which is Mechanical Engineering student Laurence Barry. Hydrostack is a heat exchanger for chimney flues and Laurence, who is from Donoughmore, Co. Cork, receives a cheque for €4,000.

Most Technically Innovative Award of €2,000 went to the Tip Top team of Daniel Henderson, Jonathon Howley, Ronan O Donoghue and Aidan Vaughan, all students of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Best Business Plan and a prize of €1,000 was awarded to Keep Me Close made up of Electronic Engineering and Business Studies students Colm Harrington, Juan F Martiez, Allanah Bates and Gary Cashman.

The Best Presentation Pitch, worth €1,000, went to Mobalift and Mechanical Engineering student Sarah Lindsey.

Most Emerging Space Award, went to MmoDL, made up of Computing and Business Studies students James O Sullivan, John Twohig and Kathryn Burguin.

Best Exhibition Stand Award, and €1,000, went to the Ez BAR team of Mechanical Engineering students Barry McKenna, Damien O’Flynn, Rian Edman and Conor Nevin-Maguire.

The prizes were presented by Dave Cody, CEO Cork City Enterprise Board.

The competition, now in its ninth year, is open to all departments within CIT and awards cash prizes to those whose inventions and business ideas are judged most creative, innovative and most likely to succeed in the marketplace. Previous winners have included Aqua Eye, a swimming aid for the visually impaired, Apri-Cot, an apparatus which acts as a sleeping aid for infants and Rigi Jig, an innovative engine repair system.

Cork Schools Enterprise Programme

The CIT Prize for Innovation also incorporates the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme – a local enterprise initiative involving second level students from Cork City and South Cork. Transition Year students from various schools around the City and County participated at the event by presenting their mini companies, which they set up and operated during the year under the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme.

The Programme offers second level students in Cork the opportunity to set up and run their own business while still at school. Students take a business from the idea stage right through to completion, experiencing all the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. It offers them an invaluable opportunity to build an entrepreneurial mindset, learn about working as part of a team and explore possible career paths for the future.

For more information on the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme please visit www.studententerprise.ie

Prize Winners

1st Prize and coveted title of CIT Entrepreneur(s) of the Year €4,000 Business Name: Hydrostack Department: Mechanical Engineering Student Name: Laurence Barry Supervisor: Richard Guinee	Laurence Barry with Dave Cody, Cork City Enterprise Board; Cork Person of the Year Conor Buckley, Keynote Speaker; Dr Richard Guinee, Supervisor; and Seán O'Sullivan, South Cork Enterprise Board.
Most Technically Innovative = €2,000 Business Name: Tip Top Department: Mechanical Engineering Student Names: Daniel Henderson, Jonathon Howley, Ronan O Donoghue, Aidan Vaughan Supervisor: Michael J O Mahony	Jonathon Howley, Daniel Henderson, Ronan O'Donaghue and Aidan Vaughan, team members of Tip Top, a project for a chalk-less cue-tip; with Dave Cody, Cork City Enterprise Board; Cork Person of the Year Conor Buckley, Keynote Speaker; and Seán O'Sullivan, South Cork Enterprise Board.
Best Business Plan = €1,000 Business Name: Keep Me Close Department(s): Electronic Engineering and Business Studies Student Names: Colm Harrington, Juan F Martiez, Allanah Carey-Bates, Gary Cashman Supervisors: Finbarr Sheehan	Juan Martinez, Alannah Carey-Bates, Gary Cashman and Colm Harrington, Electronic Engineering and Business Studies, CIT; Best Business Plan prize winners for their project Keep Me Close, an alert system to prevent USB-key loss.
Best Presentation Pitch = €1,000 Business Name: Mobalift Department: Mechanical Engineering Student Name: Sarah Lindsey Supervisor: Sean F O Leary	Sarah Lindsay with Dave Cody, Cork City Enterprise Board; Seán F O'Leary, supervisor; Cork Person of the Year Conor Buckley, Keynote Speaker; and Seán O'Sullivan, South Cork Enterprise Board.
Most Emerging Space Award Business Name: MMODL Department: Computing and Business Studies Student Names: James O Sullivan, John Twohig, Kathryn Burguin Supervisor: Finbarr Sheehan	James O'Sullivan and John Twohig with their project MMODL, a computer framework for the development of on-line games.
Best Exhibition Stand = €1,000 Business Name: Ez BaR Department: Mechanical Engineering Student Names: Barry McKenna, Damien O’Flynn, Rian Edman, Conor Nevin-Maguire Supervisor: Seán F. O’Leary	Barry McKenna and Conor Nevin-Maguire with their project E Z Bar, an automated beer pouring device.

Cork Schools Enterprise Programme

Greg Chambers, Rebecca Johnston, Katie McCarthy and Ruth O'Callaghan, Midleton College; Best Innovation and Best Overall Company, South Cork, for their project Perfect Plastics, a new type of liquids bottle to prevent bacteria.

Team members from Christ King GS; Best Business Presentation and Best Overall Company, Cork City, for their project Starstruck, a Musical Comedy entitled Bullies Anonymous; with Yvonne O'Neill, Schools co-ordinator, Cork City & South Cork Enterprise Boards; Brian Gill, Teacher; Cork Person of the Year Conor Buckley, Keynote speaker; and Seán O'Sullivan, South Cork Enterprise Board.

Leslie Coughlan, Josh Tawadros and James Griffin, Midleton CBS; Best Display Stand prize winners, South Cork, for their project Hurl-ring, hurley key-rings in county or club colours.

Meritxell Gavalda Manso, Laura Magee, Andrew Thomas and Dominic Koenig, Coláiste Muire, Crosshaven; Best Business Presentation prize winners South Cork, for their project H1N1 4 no 1.

Lauren O'Reilly, Deirdre Kelly and Rebecca McGovern, Coláiste Muire, Crosshaven; with their project Lockdown on Litter, a board-game for primary school aged children.