Start-up idea: "Inclusive tourism"

As an Entrepreneurial School®, the MCI supports its students in the development and introduction of innovative product and business ideas. For example, the Creativity Award is an annual competition designed to promote the creative potential of students and graduates and to develop particularly good ideas into businessable products.

This year, Denny Schmidt (student of the master's programme Social Work, Social Policy and Management, as well as graduate of the bachelor's programme Social Work) was able to claim 2nd place for himself. His concept idea is called "inclusive tourism" and is based on the motto: everyone has a right to nature. He wants to offer outdoor programmes that enable disadvantaged people to access and experience non-barrier-free nature.

A total of 80 MCI students took part in the Creativity Award 2020. Their business and product ideas reflect the entire range of study programmes and research areas. Among the submissions there are always ideas from the non-profit sector, and in recent years students of Social Work have also been able to inspire with their ideas time and again.

The selection of the finalists and the determination of the winning project took place in a two-stage jury procedure. The top-class jury was composed of investors, successful entrepreneurs and management consultants as well as scientists. Due to the COVID-19 situation, jury meetings and presentations were held online.

With the support of Startup.Tirol, Industriellenvereinigung Tirol and the daily newspaper "Die Presse", attractive cash and non-cash prizes worth more than 7,000 euros were made available to all finalists.

In addition, Denny Schmidt was given the opportunity to participate in the InnCubator program of Startup.Tirol. Young founders are supported in their development as entrepreneurs in the early phase of their start-up.

The Department of Social Work is pleased with him and congratulates him warmly.