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Students pitch radical new products in the ‘wolves’ den

16/11/2017

Engineering students pitched their radical ideas for new products as part of a Dragon’s Den style event at the University of Wolverhampton.

The 10 students were tasked with coming up with a business case seeking up to £100k of development funding for a new product or technology.

The MSc Advanced Technology Management and MSc Oil and Gas Management students then pitched their ideas as part of their assessment to a panel of ‘investors’ at the University’s Telford Campus.

The winning team was James Small, Thomas Hill, Zoltan Szalai and Mael Bodson for their idea of a portable MRI scanner.

Thomas Hill, an MSc Advanced Technology Management (ATM) student said: “I really enjoyed the Dragon's Den session as it placed me in a demanding environment that required a new set of skills not normally called for in the classroom. I feel I significantly developed my presentation skills and non-verbal communication which I hope will enhance my job prospects as I enter my chosen industry.”

James Small, another MSc ATM student, said: "It presented us with a chance to improve on our presentation and group-work skills, as well as technically justifying our product in a stressful environment. We had to be sure our content was right before we could present. I felt it emulated how a pitch to investors, or any presentation to industry members, would take place."

Dr Muhammad Khan, recently appointed Senior Lecturer in Engineering Management, added: “It was fascinating to see students come up with real high-potential ideas and present them verbally, without using a poster or PowerPoint. I would personally like to thank everyone involved for producing a really exciting and entertaining session.”

The panel featured members of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Dr Syed Hasan, Professor Phil Cox and Professor Chike Oduoza.

For more information about Engineering courses at the University, visit: https://www.wlv.ac.uk/about-us/our-schools-and-institutes/faculty-of-science-and-engineering/school-of-engineering/

Further information

Pic: The University ‘wolves’ (left to right) Dr Syed Hasan; Professor Phil Cox; Professor Chike Oduoza. Photo by Ben Mantle.

For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.

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