Baby nap aid takes entrepreneur prize

A SLEEPING aid for infants won the top prize at this year’s Student Enterprise Awards, which took place in Dublin yesterday.

The idea, entitled Apri-COT was the brainchild of a group of students from the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) who also won the prize for the most technically innovative product.

The tprize money won by the team, of John J Barry, Orla Houlihan, Niamh Brady and Regina O’Donoghue was €15,000.

This is the award’s 24th year, which this year welcomed Ruth Badger, former star of the BBC show, The Apprentice, as a judge.

Runners-up included Cu-Clean, an electrified, anti-microbial copper grid, which provides users with an extra layer of purification in water systems.

Other runners-up were Movies on the Move, which allows customers to download movies onto a hand-held portable device.

Enterprise Ireland manager regions and entrepreneurship Brendan Flood said: “The winning students, and indeed all our finalists, epitomise the excellent innovation that exists within our third-level sector.

“This must be harnessed to create winning indigenous companies.

“The success and long-term strength of Ireland’s economy is directly impacted by the establishment and growth of Irish-owned companies that have the potential to become thriving international businesses.”