For more than a century, global science company 3M has
innovated a wide range of products for businesses and
consumers including the iconic Post-it Notes and Scotch
tape. The company has today launched the second edition of
its competition the 3M Inspire Challenge, which is
now open to New Zealand undergraduates for the first
time.
The challenge is a case competition, which is
where undergraduate tertiary students tackle a real-life
business problem in teams, encouraging innovative thinking,
competitive nous, and providing an opportunity to form
friendships and develop business networks.
This
year’s competition asks students to improve lives across
three themes:
- Sustainable Materials,
- The
New Paradigm (A Pandemic Aware World), and - Equity
(Through Science and Technology).
Eleni
Sideridis, Managing Director and General Counsel for 3M
Australia and New Zealand, says 3M is thrilled to bring this
exciting competition to New Zealand for the first
time.
“Kiwis are well-known for their innovation and
entrepreneurship, and we can’t wait to see what ideas they
bring to the 3M Inspire Challenge,” she
says.
This year the competition will take place over
two rounds. In the first round, teams across Australia and
New Zealand will submit their business solutions with the
top three teams competing for the title of “Australia
& New Zealand Country Champion” along with the prize
of local internship opportunities and USD$2,000 (approx.
NZD$3,200).
From there, the winning Australia/New
Zealand team will compete against the Country Champions from
India, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam in November. There, the
ultimate winning team will be crowned the Asia-Pacific
“Regional Champions” and receive a USD$5,000 (approx.
NZD$8,000) cash prize.
Jim Falteisek, Senior
Vice President, 3M Asia Corporate Affairs and Managing
Director, 3M Korea, says: “We are passionate about
unlocking the power of people, ideas, and
science”.
“Through the 3M Inspire Challenge 2022,
we want to uncover solutions to create a more positive world
for the future, while tapping in our expertise to cultivate
the next generation of diverse leaders, thinkers, and
creators.”
Last year the top business ideas across
the Southeast Asian region, where 122 teams competed,
included smart bandages that can monitor different stages of
the wound healing process, a 3M 360° virtual store, and
sustainable bioplastic surgical
masks.
Encouraging diverse participation in
STEM
This year, the 3M Inspire
Challenge has an emphasis on innovation through
diversity and inclusion and it is mandatory for each team of
two to four students to be gender diverse.
Jim
Falteisek says 3M wants to ensure women have an equal
opportunity to hone their innovation acumen and gain
exposure in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM), ultimately paving the way for more
creative and innovative ideas.
“This challenge is an
example of how 3M is dedicated to cultivating a truly
diverse talent pipeline in STEM.”
The 3M Inspire
Challenge builds on 3M’s diverse community engagements
aligned to this commitment. These include partnerships with
local education initiatives including Innovative Young
Minds, a New Zealand programme designed to encourage young
women to explore science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, and high-tech
manufacturing.
Registrations are now
open
Registrations and submissions are
open for the 3M Inspire Challenge from July 15 until
August 26. Shortlisted teams will be notified by September
23.
For further information and to register, visit the
3M Inspire Challenge website.
About
3M
3M believes science helps create a brighter world
for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas and
science to reimagine what’s possible, our global team
uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our
customers, communities, and planet. Learn how we’re
working to improve lives and make what’s next at 3M.com/news or on Twitter at
@3M or @3MNews.
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