19 March, 2021

The EU 2020 Strategy calls for citizens in our ageing society to live actively and independently for longer and to continue contributing to society and to the economy … the Silver Economy as it has become known. This rapidly growing silver economy is an untapped market for businesses.

With this in mind, the Hincks Centre launched the inaugural SilverEship Competition as part of MTU’s Enterprise Month 2021. Open to all MTU Staff, the objective was to identify a problem/issue related to older people and to provide a business idea which could potentially solve that problem/issue.

Four prizes of €200 each were up for grabs …. but not for the winners! As part of the application, entrants to the competition nominated a charity to receive their prize should they win.

Ideas generated from this year’s competition dealt with a broad range of issues ranging from isolation, loneliness and accessibility to travel, education and fitness.

Mr. Gerard O’Donovan, Head of Faculty, Business & Humanities, announced the winners online after the finals of this year's APPrentice Competition.

Our thanks to the Judging panel: Aisling Conway Lenihan, Academic Researcher with the Hincks Centre, and Noelle Desmond, Municipal District Officer, Cork County Council. Aisling has done extensive work on the topic of the Silver Economy through European projects and academic research. Noelle is with the Council's Age Friendly Programme. 

Thank you to Catriona Fenton from the Hincks Centre and all the Innovation Month Team for their support and for sponsoring the prizes.

Thank you to everyone that entered the competition and a special thank you to the winners for supporting the work of their chosen charities.  

And the winners of the SilverEship Competition 2021:

Best Ideas

• Orla Sisk, Student Affairs, MTU Cork. Nominated Charity: Arthritis Ireland
• A joint application from Tara Coppinger, Sport, Leisure, and Childhood Studies, & John Barrett, Nimbus Centre, MTU Cork. Nominated Charity: Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

Best Chance of Commercialisation

• John McAleer, Innovation Office, MTU Cork. Nominated Charity: Marymount Day Care Art Therapy Voluntary Group.

Most Interesting Problem / Issue Identified

• Patricia O’Halloran, Department of Nursing, MTU Kerry. Nominated Charity: Milford Hospice, Limerick.

All winners received proof of donation from their nominated charities.