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Entrepreneurship & Self Employment
University College Cork (UCC) is a leading European university renowned for research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialisation. Our robust infrastructure, featuring initiatives like Blackstone LaunchPad, IGNITE, and GATEWAY UCC, fosters entrepreneurial endeavors firsthand. Attracting top talent from academia, alumni, and industry, UCC cultivates a diverse community of innovators. Recognized as the Sunday Times University of the Year in 2016 and 2017, and ranked among Europe's top 100 for innovation by Reuters, UCC is dedicated to transforming concepts into real-world impact.
Blackstone Launchpad
Blackstone LaunchPad is UCC’s on-campus experiential entrepreneurship program, open to students, alumni, and staff. It empowers the UCC community to translate ideas into commercial reality, benefiting individuals, Ireland, and society as a whole. For those interested in entrepreneurship at UCC, Blackstone Launchpad Events Brochure is an essential resource.
STUDENT INC. ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME
Student Inc. takes student entrepreneurship beyond the classroom, providing a platform for full-time development of commercial ideas. Participants receive €4,000 in seed funding, office space, and comprehensive training and mentoring over a three-month summer period.
In summer 2019, ten projects participated in Student Inc., spanning disciplines such as Accounting, Architecture, Arts, Biochemistry, Business Information Systems, Computer Science, Criminology, Economics, Film & Screen Media Studies, and Government and Social Science.
Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards
Are you a third level student with a mind-blowing business idea? The Student Entrepreneur Awards is the competition for you if your idea has real commercial potential. It could be your first step towards becoming your own boss. Check out the Enterprise Ireland website for details on the 2020 Awards programme.
The competition offers an impressive €10,000 cash prize for first place, along with €30,000 worth of specialist advice and assistance to help turn your enterprise idea into reality. Gather your team for the most exciting challenge of your academic career so far!
Sponsored by Enterprise Ireland, Cruickshank Intellectual Property Attorneys, Grant Thornton, and the Local Enterprise Office, the Student Entrepreneur Awards welcome third level students from all academic disciplines to realize their entrepreneurial dreams.