23rd April 2009

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Business students from the University of Ulster scorched the competition to win a prestigious Dragon’s Den style national challenge.

The winning team beat 29 other universities from across the UK to lift the Flux 2009 student enterprise trophy in Plymouth.

FLUX is the UK's largest inter-university enterprise event, drawing the most talented teams together to compete against each other in a demanding business challenge. 

The team was made up of six final year students - Leanne Leighton, Matthew Gray, Laura Tate, Chris Halliday, Stello So and Chris Cupples - from the Department of Business, Retail and Financial Services in the Ulster Business School at Coleraine.

Ulster Business School academics - Dr Karise Hutchinson and Dr Emma Fleck – travelled with the team to Plymouth to offer support and advice.

Dr Hutchinson said: “We were absolutely thrilled to win – the competition was very tough and, considering this was the first time we entered, it’s a great achievement.”

Dr Fleck explained: “The students came up with the idea of an online traveller’s social networking website. It was based around the idea that backpackers could stay abroad with residents in exchange for doing odd jobs.

“Not only did the students have a very short space of time to come up with a viable idea and develop a business plan, but they also had to do final pitch to 47 dragons and 200 students.”

Professor Barry Quinn, Head of the Department of Business, Retail and Financial Services said: “In all of our courses we place a lot of emphasis on core skills such as enterprise, entrepreneurship, communication and team work, and so this was a great opportunity for the students to demonstrate these attributes in practice.   

“This achievement is a great endorsement of the abilities of our students in relation to their peers from other universities, and the efforts and expertise of the staff involved. 

“This is a fantastic achievement and warmest congratulations to the students involved and their mentors, Karise and Emma. “

Financial sponsorship for the event was gained from the private sector in the Coleraine area, including Loop Consultancy, Hutchinson Tiles and Causeway Enterprise Agency.

The success of the Flux team has built on the Department’s growing reputation for student enterprise. Last year, another team of students from the Department won the prestigious All-Ireland Student Enterprise Competition.

 

For further information, please contact:

Press Office, Department of Communication and Development
Tel: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk