Bonjour to the University of Adelaide's eChallenge

Thursday, 22 August 2013

The University of Adelaide Entrepreneurship Commercialisation and Innovation Centre's (ECIC) long-running entrepreneur competition, eChallenge, is heading to the land of berets and the Eiffel Tower.

After supporting budding entrepreneurs for 12 years, the competition model has been adapted into French, with universities and businesses in France expected to commence competing in 2014.

ECIC Director Professor Noel Lindsay says the request to develop the competition in French is a testament to the quality and success of eChallenge.

"The University of Adelaide has been enhancing the eChallenge model for the past 12 years and now it's the only Australian entrepreneurship business planning competition that feeds directly into the leading international student entrepreneurship competition held in Texas each year (by the University of Texas in Austin)," Professor Lindsay says.

"Rolling out the Australian eChallenge in France is a great opportunity to lift the profile of our competition, and the university, and may lead to further global partnerships."

The competition has also recently been developed into undergraduate and postgraduate university courses, allowing students to have their entrepreneurial skills assessed as part of their studies.

"The eChallenge course commenced in semester two this year and is already highly popular," Professor Lindsay says.

"This course is open to anyone in the University of Adelaide and provides students with a broad range of online resources and networking opportunities."

The annual eChallenge competition incorporates business and entrepreneurial workshops, team mentoring by industry professionals, networking opportunities and help in developing new business ideas.

The 30 teams competing in the 2013 eChallenge will display their business venture ideas at the showcase in the University of Adelaide's Bonython Hall on 28 August, 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Judging will follow the showcase in mid-September, with five or six teams progressing through to the finals round, and winners announced at the eChallenge Awards Presentation night on 1 November.

For more information, visit www.adelaide.edu.au/echallenge

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