MCI Creativity Award 2014 for outstanding entrepreneurial ideas

Date 2014-11-27
Management Center Innsbruck rewards its students’ innovative ideas and concepts.

Together with the Center for Academic Spin-offs Tyrol (CAST), the Entrepreneurial School® organized the MCI Creativity Award 2014 to find the best business ideas produced by MCI students.

A total of sixty students entered the competition, including the first international exchange students to take advantage of the opportunity to present their ideas. With the support of CAST, the Federation of Tyrolean Industries and the Austrian daily “Die Presse”, attractive prizes worth a total of over 5,000 euros were awarded.

Professor Bernd Ebersberger, Director of R&D Services at the MCI, emphasized the relevance of innovation and entrepreneurship for the ability of an economy to compete. He went on to say, “Austria - and that definitely includes the Tyrol – can certainly be seen as a European hotspot for start-ups. With the MCI Creativity Award, the MCI and its partners are playing an active role in shaping the business start-up environment in the Tyrol. The award shows students enrolled in all MCI study programs that an innovative business start-up can be an attractive career option.”

Dr. Florian Becke, Executive Director of CAST, added: “The MCI Creativity Award gives students an opportunity to address key questions relating to the market potential of their ideas. And the expert jury also provides valuable feedback. Participation in the Creativity Award can be a first step towards setting up a company.”

Professor Andreas Altman, Rector of MCI Management Center Innsbruck, said: “As the Entrepreneurial School® we attract entrepreneurial people, mentor them and make them special. I am delighted with the excellent standard of the entries and grateful to the jury and our partners for their involvement. I should like to congratulate the prizewinners. It is incredible to see what diligent people and creative minds are capable of.”

The competition was targeted at MCI students in all study programs who wish to assume commercial and social responsibility with their business or product ideas. Entries were submitted by students enrolled in management and technological programs as well as social sciences. The five prizewinners were chosen by an expert jury in an exhaustive selection process.

The prizewinners and their ideas:

1st place: Michael Gerbl - The modern meter stick. This multifunctional device simplifies the typical measuring processes and provides d.i.y. fans with an easy way to measure distances and angles.

2nd place: Jianing Ye - The cleaning innovation. A new method to have smell-free clothes without a bulk system, aiming at efficiency and universality.

3rd place: Markus Bergmann - Scarfill. A repair kit designed specially for freeriders.

4th place: Dominik Strobl and Jonathan Dornfeld - Super Suitcase. Transformation of old suitcases into unique items.

5th place: Leo Guggenberger - ERP Farm. Modern and innovative solution for agriculture and forestry.

The MCI would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners and wish them every success in the implementation of their entrepreneurial ideas!

{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=900}

Press contacts and queries:
{mcicontact view=presse|id=1}
Jubilee event at the MCI’s alumni club
Jubilee event at the MCI’s alumni club
250th platform session with leading speakers at the Entrepreneurial School® - The MCI success story with its academic lecture series continuesMCI Alumni & Friends recently celebrated a special jubilee: The talk given by H.E. Sergey Nechayev, the Russian Federation’s Ambassador to Austria, was the 250th platform event – with international speakers from the worlds of business, academia, politics and the arts – organized by the Entrepreneurial School®.These unique events deliver a useful stimulus, promote the exchange of knowledge and experience and help students, faculty, partners and visitors to the MCI build up their networks.The list of speakers is as varied as it is impressive and includes such famous names as President Vaclav Klaus, President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Commissioners Franz Fischler, Benita Ferrero Waldner and Johannes Hahn, numerous ministers and undersecretaries from Austria and many other countries, and the CEOs of international corporations like Daniel Vasella (Novartis), Stefan Sommer (ZF), Michel Wurth (Arcelor Mittal), Helmut Maucher (Nestlé), Brigitte Ederer (Siemens), Helmut Rothenberger (Rothenberger), Peter Bettermann (Freudenberg), Martin Kind (Kind Group, Hannover 96), Mario Moretti Polegato (Geox) and Hap Klopp (The North Face) and of leading Austrian companies like Georg Kapsch (Kapsch), Niki Lauda (FlyNiki), Christian Kern (ÖBB) and Sabine Herlitschka (Infineon).And that is far from the end of the story: For the next few years, the MCI has succeeded in booking the prestigious speakers needed for such a high-powered program: preview“Along with the other offerings, our international lecture series puts our program in a class of its own,” says Bettina Stichauner, Director of MCI Alumni & Friends, and she continues, “which goes to show that it does matter which university you attend!”The MCI’s Rector Andreas Altmann has this to say about the MCI’s alumni club: “A lively service platform, MCI Alumni & Friends offers support in terms of contacts, careers and personal development and contributes to the international standing of the Entrepreneurial School®. The winners are our graduates and our common university and business location.”{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=921}Press contacts and queries:{mcicontact view=presse|id=18}
Strategic Management in the Tourism & Leisure Industries
Strategic Management in the Tourism & Leisure Industries
The part-time MCI Executive Certificate course in Destination & Leadership is targeted at Entrepreneurs, managers and decision makers in the tourism and leisure industries, especially those responsible for destination management and development.The tourism, leisure and tourism-related service industry is one of the biggest industries worldwide and still has enormous potential for growth. Fascinating opportunities for destination development and international marketing call for managers with professional training. The special focus of the course on strategic destination management and a sound theoretical basis combined with practical applications, including study tours to selected destinations, are the key to long-term success in the field of destination development and an effective way to strengthen one’s own position within the industry.With this 14-day course in Destination & Leadership, MCI Management Center Innsbruck is offering its first executive education course explicitly designed for managers in the tourism industry. The course is being taught by highly qualified lecturers and trainers and organized in association with the Austrian Hoteliers Federation and in cooperation with the Federation of Austrian Tourism Managers and the Federation of Tyrolean Tourism Associations.The course starts on April 15, 2015 with a schedule tailored to the needs of the target group. The number of places on the course is limited.More Information:Registration & CounselingVictoria Lettenbichler+43 512 2070 2102victoria.lettenbichler@mci.edu{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=923}Press contacts and queries:{mcicontact view=presse|id=1}
2014 Science Award for MCI graduate Marco Rückl
2014 Science Award for MCI graduate Marco Rückl
Science Award of the Chamber of Commerce for innovative Master’s thesis in the field of Mechatronics-Mechanical EngineeringThe Mechatronics Department at the MCI has something to celebrate: professional recognition for the Master’s thesis submitted by Marco Rückl, BSc, MSc. In his work in the field of control engineering, he developed a dynamic and efficient position controller for geared drives. In comparison with conventional controller designs, the new solution offers faster error convergence and long-term stability and has great potential for use in a wide range of drive systems.The Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce first announced the Science Award in 1997. Since then the prize has been awarded on an annual basis for outstanding Diploma and Master’s theses and dissertations which display a high degree of innovation and have practical applicability for Tyrolean SMEs. For Dr. Jürgen Bodenseer as President of the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce, the presentation ceremony for the Science Award is a special event signaling support for the young people and the future of the Tyrol.At the ceremony, the MCI’s Rector Andreas Altmann said, “I am particularly grateful to the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce and President Jürgen Bodenseer for making this award. It is so important to build bridges between the academic and business communities. Academic research is a pillar of the economy in that the findings generate innovation. And innovation needs to be applied in trade and industry so that it can develop its potential and contribute to prosperity.”The other winners of the Science Award were Mag. Johannes Ager (LFU), Mag. Lukas Fischer (LFU), Magdalena Posch, M.A. (FH Kufstein), Irene Riccabona, MSc (LFU) and Dipl. Ing. Martin Peter Schwarz, MSc (LFU).Congratulations to all the prizewinners!{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=922}Press contacts and queries:{mcicontact view=presse|id=1}