Friday, 2/3/2023
The School of Economics and
Management (EEG) of the University of Minho, hosted on January 30, 2023, the
qualifying session for the XVII edition of the startup program, promoted by
Junior Achievement Portugal (JAP). This is a demanding program of young
entrepreneurship, in which dozens of Portuguese universities compete. The event
was organized by JAP, an organization founded in 1919 (USA) considered the most
relevant entity (non-profit) worldwide, in promoting youth entrepreneurship,
present in over 100 countries and nominated in 2022 for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The initiative is part of the
methodology of the course unit of principles of entrepreneurship of the
Marketing degree, taught by professor Nuno Marques, a professor of the EEG's
Management Department, who guided the projects / teams.
The students presented and
defended twelve entrepreneurial projects, which they had planned along the
semester, in an "elevator pitch" format, before a jury. The jury
panel, composed of representatives from prestigious organizations, Hugo Portela
(Accenture), Pedro Magalhães (Bosh), Rui Martins (Porto Business School) and
Paulo Machado (AGEAS Foundation), evaluated the projects, but also shared their
experience and knowledge with the teams. The session was led by Gonçalo Duque
(CEO) and Bruno Ramos (JAP Operations Director).
The students presented the
solutions they had developed during the semester and in the words of Gonçalo
Duque (CEO of JAP) the level of the teams was very high and the decision to
qualify was difficult.
Four teams from the Marketing
graduation of EEG were selected. The ODER project, a team led by student
Beatriz Araújo that researched and developed an innovative solution to support
the absence of vision that aims to contribute to a more effective inclusion of
the blind or low vision population. Lightlumin, a team led by student Cesarine
Martinho, presented a solution for the more efficient management of public
lighting, and which has the innovative particularity of the population /
community interact more effectively with the public lighting system (depending
on multiple factors). The Steppy team led by the student Beatriz Ramôa
presented an innovative concept of a baby shoe, which aims to reduce the cost
with the rapid disposal of this product and the high environmental impact, of
shoe consumption, of children from zero to two years (certainly, many parents
who appreciate such a solution). And finally, the WN team led by Vasco Lima,
developed a technological solution that aims to minimize a problem of car
navigation systems being highly distracting to drivers, with potential impact
on accidents.
The selection session was closed
by Professor Beatriz Casais, Vice-President of the School of Economics and
Management, who congratulated the students and everyone involved in the
selection session and wished success to the teams that will represent the
University of Minho in the XVII national championship of the start-up program,
which will take place in March, in Cascais. In her final words, Professor
Beatriz Casais emphasized a relevant characteristic that she identified in the
projects of the entrepreneurial students from the University of Minho, that
besides being focused in generating economic value, they also show a high
strategic and social value generation orientation.
Gabinete de Comunicação
Escola de Economia e Gestão
Universidade do Minho
Telefone: 253 604541
Email: gci@eeg.uminho.pt
