FROSTBURG — The second annual Bobcat Innovation Launch Pad competition will take place Nov. 1-3 at Frostburg State University. The theme for this year is “Revive and Thrive: Reimagining Rural Resilience,” which encourages student participants to rebuild and envisage rural environments in order to turn obstacles into chances for a rebirth of the economy and culture.
Michael Flinn, a professor and chair of FSU’s Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, remarked, “Last year’s Bobcat Innovation Launch Pad was enormously successful, enabling students to collaborate, articulate ideas, and find solutions to challenging problems.” “We’re searching for people who are passionate about advancing civilization, one area at a time this year.”
The competition gives student teams the chance to collaborate swiftly and efficiently to gather market data in order to create business plans and technologically driven solutions to issues that meet the social, cultural, and economic demands of the area while guaranteeing a prosperous future for Western Maryland.
Multidisciplinary endeavor
Expertise from a variety of disciplines, including technology, environmental science, health care, agriculture, humanities, and social sciences, is combined in this multidisciplinary endeavor.
According to Kara Platt, an assistant professor and chair of FSU’s Department of Nursing, “the need for high-functioning, multidisciplinary teams has never been greater as we work toward cultivating a holistic culture of health in rural communities.” “I am excited to see what creative solutions this cooperative effort can come up with.”
Teams will design or build a prototype, write a business plan, and present their idea to a panel of judges in an attempt to persuade them to invest during the event. The top three teams will get resources, financing, and mentorship to help them implement their ideas.
Sustainable local economy
Curtis Clemens, an assistant professor in FSU’s Department of Recreation and Parks Management, said, “I would encourage students to think beyond traditional products and also consider services that will align well with the needs of rural areas.” “This strategy, by leveraging the assets of the local environment and community interests, could promote a more resilient and sustainable local economy.”
All undergraduate and graduate students can apply to the Bobcat Innovation Launch Pad. Students simply need to be highly cooperative and curious; they don’t need to have any prior experience with engineering or coding.
The students that took part in this event showed “such an intense level of personal, professional, and academic growth,” according to Flinn. “Everyone should be excited to be a part of this truly unique opportunity that TEDCO and the Maryland Innovation Initiative have provided for Frostburg students.”