Pop-up hub to inspire Cardiff’s student entrepreneurs

A pop-up hub to help students develop business skills and share ideas will be centre stage at Cardiff University this autumn.

Celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week, the hub will transform the entrance foyer in the University’s Main Building into an interactive space where Cardiff University students can seek advice and work alongside others with great ideas.

The week, from 13 to 17 November, will also include a special event where students shortlisted for the University’s annual SPARK IDEAS competition – with £5,000 in overall prize money available – pitch their businesses to sponsors from Santander Universities, TramshedTech, S3 Advertising and Paperclip.

Sean Hoare, Acting Enterprise Manager for Cardiff University Careers & Employability, said: “The aim of the week is to leave students feeling inspired, emboldened and delighted. We’ll be using the space designed by previous SPARK winners, CAUKIN, in the VJ Gallery in Main Building to host guest speaker events and provide drop-in advice; as well offering a place for anyone to just come along, sit down, work and exchange ideas.”

Enterprise & Start-Up is a partnership between Cardiff University and Cardiff University Students' Union, offering workshops, competitions and skills sessions to help students put ideas and innovations into real-world action.

During the autumn, a series of training events will help students hone their skills. Sessions include ‘How to assess a potential idea,’ ‘How to find your market,’ ‘Mastering the pitch,’ and ‘How to find investment for your project.’

The event complements Welsh Government’s ‘Be the Spark’ initiative, which is working to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation by bringing academia and business closer across the country.

For further information, tweet @CardiffUniE, visit the Enterprise website or email enterprise@cardiff.ac.uk.