Top business prize for UCL students

UCL alumni Adrian Tweeddale (UCL Mechanical Engineering 2005) and Lindsey Tethal (UCL Biochemical Engineering MSc 2004) have been highly commended in the first UK Science Enterprise Centre's National Business Plan competition.

The pair received their commendation for Intelliglass, a revolutionary glass coating which allows heat and light to enter a building on a cold day, but reflects it on a hot day, allowing only light in. The UKSEC National Business Plan competition was judged by a panel that included Dragons' Den star Doug Richard, and is coordinated by the Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE). The competition, which was open to all higher education institutions in the UK, encourages young people to show entrepreneurial spirit by coming up with cutting edge ideas and developing them into workable high-growth businesses.

Adrian and Lindsay were selected for the top places out of 21 finalists from leading universities throughout the UK, and received a cheque for £500 from UKSEC to bring their business concept forward, as well as a bottle of champagne.

Commenting on the competition, Sharon Bamford, chief executive of SIE, said: "We've been delighted with the standard of entries to the competition. The business ideas were extremely well thought out, viable and inventive, and they are a testament to the hotbed of young talent we have in the UK. Competitions such as this are a great way to inspire the entrepreneurs of tomorrow and give them the confidence and skills to go for it."

This isn't the first competition the UCL pair have won - earlier in the year they won the Entrepreneurs Challenge, a competition for the UCL and London Business School communities.