Lancaster, UCL, York and Queen's launch the 2010-11 China-UK Entrepreneurship Competition
Published 24 January 2011
On 21st January, Lancaster, UCL, York and Queen’s University launched this year’s China-UK Entrepreneurship competition at an event at Queen’s University in Belfast.
The four university partners are working closely with the China Innovation and Development Association (CIDA), Chongqing University and other key players in China to deliver this year’s business planning competition.
At the launch, Queen’s University Vice-Chancellor, Peter Gregson, spoke of the how the competition’s values of entrepreneurship and partnership working are an “integral part of what a university stands for”. Professor David Brown, Director of the Lancaster China Management Centre (LCMC), gave an introduction to Lancaster’s China agenda and strategy, which has developed “from a local research interest to a strategic interest for the university” and described how the UK-China competition is one component of this.
Professor David Brown and Lecturer Qihai Huang at the launch of the 2010-11 China Uk Entrepreneurship Competition at Queen’s University, Belfast.
The competition, which has support at provincial and local level governments in China, is split into two streams – one for existing businesses and one for student-led start-ups. The competing teams have the opportunity to win a share of more than £11,000 in prize money in the final. In addition, an investment opportunity of up to £250,000 is available for the best business plans alongside a free work space in London for one year, provided by the East London University.
Lancaster will host the semi-final event in May and the grand final will be held at UCL at the end of June. The winning team from the UK will then go head-to-head with the winners from the Chinese leg of the competition in an International Grand Final at the University of York in October 2011.
The competition can boast many success stories. Last year’s winners of the student-led stream, Intelight, are setting up their office in the Chinese province of Jiangsu very soon. Nanolase, previous winners of the existing business category, have already received £150,000 of grants from regional government.
If you have a business idea for the UK and China markets, why not enter the competition! For full details, please visit the China-UK Challenge website.
