27 March, 2025

Huge congratulations to the incredible second-level students who participated in the inaugural Hincks Young Innovators' Showcase at MTU's Innovation Day on March 27th!

24 students from seven DEIS secondary schools in Cork City and County, showcased eight innovative Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Foróige projects to gain recognition, exposure to experts, a guided tour of MTU and lunch in our main canteen.

This Showcase, hosted by the Hincks Centre for Entrepreneurship Excellence and funded by MTU's Innovation and Enterprise Office, was a vibrant display of innovation, bringing together talented second-level students from across Cork city and county.

These students, also participated in the NFTE program through Foróige and have demonstrated remarkable ingenuity, problem solving and teamwork through their projects,. This Showcase, was specifically designed to foster stronger connections between DEIS secondary schools and third-level education, bridging the gap and inspiring future collaboration.

We congratulate all the participants for their outstanding work and were delighted to celebrate their success through two distinct award categories.

Firstly, our judges from the Hincks Team, acknowledged the project which had made a profound difference in and for our communities, addressing social needs with creativity and compassion. This prize category was called the Greatest Social Impact Award, honouring those who have gone beyond profit, demonstrating a commitment to making our world a better place. The recipients of the Greatest Social Impact Award and €150 were……… “Whiskers and Wisdom”, from St Patrick's College, Gardiner's Hill, Cork.

Secondly, our judges recognised the project that had demonstrated good financial acumen and market potential. This prize category was called the Best Economic Impact Award, celebrating students ability to create sustainable value and drive economic growth. The recipients of the Best Economic Impact and €150 were…….. “Plushie” from Colaiste An Chraoibhin, Fermoy, Co Cork.

This showcase highlighted the immense talent and potential of our young entrepreneurs, proving that the future of innovation in Cork is bright! Let's continue to foster these connections and support the next generation of leaders.