Prime Minister congratulates talented students on their revolutionary idea
Innovative Sheffield students have impressed the Prime Minister with their revolutionary mobile phone app designed to improve personal safety.
The talented team visited 10 Downing Street yesterday (Wednesday 16 November 2011) after scooping a national prize for their creative invention Safe Trip, which uses Government crime statistics, GPS location and Google maps to plot the safest route through an unknown town or city.
The competition was hosted by Silicon Valley Comes to the UK (SVC2UK), a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to improve the environment for entrepreneurship.
Technical geniuses Steve Briscoe from Sheffield Hallam University and University of Sheffield students Luke Stringer, Sam Oakley and Mark Dessain joined seven other teams at one of the most famous addresses in the world to receive their prestigious award from Prime Minister David Cameron.
The masterminds created their app at the Silicon Valley Comes to Sheffield Appathon which took place at Sheffield Hallam University in October. The event, which was supported by the Creative and Digital Industries (CDI) team from Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) working with Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield, gave budding entrepreneurs the opportunity to work with designers, developers and marketeers to design and build a unique app for the commercial market in just two days.
Team leader Steve Briscoe, 19, from Sheffield Hallam University said: “I was so shocked that we won the award and were given the once in a lifetime opportunity to visit 10 Downing Street and actually meet the Prime Minister. David Cameron certainly helped to inspire us to achieve careers in the IT industry.”
The group has also been given the opportunity to pitch their idea to investors at the Silicon Valley comes to Tech City event taking place in London on Saturday ( 19 November 2011) and one team member has the chance to travel to the Silicon Valley and South by South West Festival (SXSW) next year.
Sam Oakley, 21, from the University of Sheffield said: “Technology entrepreneurship is a really hot area to be in and this competition is a fantastic opportunity to get connections with the right people.”
Chris Bates, senior lecturer in computing at Sheffield Hallam, said: “Everything we do at Sheffield Hallam is focused on building real world skills – from the teaching to the placements. The SVC2UK competition gave our students the chance to apply their innovative thinking and learning to a leading-edge, real world product. The winning team have produced an application that, although a prototype, is a saleable product with a real use.”
The appathon experience is a prime example of how collaboration within the Sheffield City Region between the private sector and the universities helps undergraduate students gain real hands on experience in developing a commercial product. Mentors from the local business community and partners Microsoft, the GIST Foundation and the Technology Strategy Board offered their time and support to the students during the two-day Appathon.
Lee Strafford from the LEP Board said: “I passionately believe that by collaborating in a meaningful way, universities and business will release the talent of our student population to make a real change in the Sheffield City Region economy.”
Ian Ibbotson, secretary of the GIST Foundation said: “What I find most striking and encouraging about the Sheffield SVC2UK event is the value that can be created when local stakeholders are made to collaborate. By working together we’ve created a rich environment for the students to succeed.”
“The combination of the physical space and support, provided by the university; first class mentoring and encouragement, provided by local business and creative community; the hard work of the SVC2UK team, and most of all the students created an event that I can’t imagine any one organisation could have achieved alone.”
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