Teams of school pupils enter the internal stage of the ‘SPbU Start-up 2022’ contest for the first time
The Expert Council of the SPbU Start-up 2022 contest has identified 16 teams that will compete for the victory in the internal stage. For the first time, there are two semi-finalists, representing the Faddeev Academic Gymnasium of St Petersburg University.
The University students and school pupils from the gymnasium participated in the seventh start-up contest where they were invited to submit projects on 13 topics. The majority of applications forwarded for the contest are related to IT technology.
‘The main objective of the SPbU Start-up 2022 contest is to develop entrepreneurial competencies and business activity of the University students. In order to support the participants this year, we organised round tables with leading profile experts, including representatives of Gazprom Neft Science and Technology Centre, to create a unique platform at St Petersburg University. This will make it possible to develop interaction between St Petersburg University students and business communities,’ said Elena Mishutina, Executive Director of the Endowment Fund of St Petersburg University.
Cooperation between students and entrepreneurs becomes more productive thanks to such events, according to Igor Diu, Chairman of the contest Expert Council and founder of the Galactika group.
I believe that all contestants have already won a prize. Almost all of the projects will find interested representatives from one area of business or another. I had preliminary conversations with several industry leaders, who expressed their willingness to support the development of the projects already at the selection stage.
Igor Diu, Chairman of the contest Expert Council and founder of the Galactika group of companies
Igor Diu also noted that the students of the Faddeev Academic Gymnasium of St Petersburg University who apply for the project contest for the first time will gain valuable experience from participating in grant events. ‘In order to apply for a grant, a certain “course” has to be mastered. This is where we give school pupils the opportunity to gain the knowledge and experience for further participation in similar contests,’ shared Igor Diu, Expert Council Chairman.
‘The contest is not a pinnacle, but a springboard for new achievements, discoveries and further advancement. Of course, the SPbU Start-up 2022 contest is a very important event in students’ life, as participation in such events develops entrepreneurial and communicative competences, increases their competitiveness as future specialists in the labour market, and enables them to prove themselves and put their ideas into practice. As of today, the Terroir Concept project, winner of the SPbU Start-Up 2021 contest, has received support from the University Endowment Fund and is preparing to establish a pilot small innovative enterprise at St Petersburg University. The start-ups announced this year have the same development prospects,’ emphasised Elena Mishutina.
The internal stage of the contest will take place on 24 and 25 February 2022. Participants will submit their projects to the committee, after which the finalists of the SPbU Start-up 2022 will be announced. The final will be held on 24 May 2022. Winners and runners-up will receive cash prizes: 350,000 roubles for the first place, 250,000 roubles and 150,000 roubles each for the second and third place respectively.
Those finalists who decide to launch a small innovative enterprise at St Petersburg University will receive grants of 1,000,000 and 700,000 roubles from the University Endowment Fund. In addition, the finalist teams will receive three monthly stipends of 10,000 roubles each (in March, April and May 2022) to enable them to focus more on project development in the final stages of the contest.
