The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s summer idea accelerator programme, Summer Lab, has kicked off for another year. This six week programme is free for all students of the University of Auckland. This is the third year for Summer Lab with a record 104 students participating, among them 15 students from Shantou University who have travelled from China to join in the Summer Lab experience.

Summer Lab gives student participants the ability to formulate, test and develop an idea for a venture. The students are provided with workshops, funding, desk space and other support to test their ideas and develop their venture.

The programme gives the students direct contact with industry experts and mentors who volunteer their time to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs. The programme culminates with participants pitching to a range of entrepreneurs, investors and venture capitalists.

For some, participating in Summer Lab gives them the confidence and courage to start their own venture while still studying. Duncan Milne, a Bachelor of Pharmacy student who participated in last year’s Summer Lab, was inspired to develop his Summer Lab idea into a business.

Equipped with the knowledge gained from Summer Lab, Duncan invested his own money to fund his venture Haddocks, designing and releasing his first product – wall-mounted floating shelves, which he has released into market in America. “I can’t thank Summer Lab enough for teaching me the bread and butter of entrepreneurship. If I hadn’t learned the value of market validation I wouldn’t have ever invested all my savings into my business.” Duncan has so far more than made back his investment and the business is now growing.

While not all of the enterprises developed out of Summer Lab will go on to lofty heights, participants come away from the programme having practical skills and an entrepreneurial mindset that can be applied to their future career, as an employee or heading their own enterprise.

“It is exhilarating to see all the energy, hope and aspirations of our students as they start on their journey to explore entrepreneurship” says Wendy Kerr, Director of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship “Summer Lab gives students a supportive environment and the practical skills to transform their ideas into business ventures”.