25.07.06
University College Falmouth-based designer wins Business Ideas Challenge

Rachael Carrington, a young designer whose company, Spatial Systems, is based at University College Falmouth's Design Centre, recently won the Business Ideas challenge 2006 award at a prestigious ceremony.

The Business Ideas Challenge is organised in partnership with the Combined Universities in Cornwall, University of Plymouth Partner Colleges and the Tamar Science Park. The competition is designed to promote new business ideas and new business ventures in the South West. The total prize package of £30,000 was divided between five categories, representing the different sectors participating in the competition – the Alumni and Tamar Science Park Prize, Best Combined Universities in Cornwall entry, Plymouth Staff and Students, Social Responsibility Prize and Overall Winner.

Rachael's business idea, a unique modular system that allows a space to be altered and manipulated to suit a variety of uses, won the Best Combined Universities in Cornwall prize. Together with the £1500 in prize money, Rachael will also benefit from some expert mentoring from industry professionals. "It's amazing to have won," says Rachael. "I was competing against a lot of other ideas, many of which were very impressive. Winning the competition really means that the judges have seen the merit of my ideas and the potential of the project."

Rachael's company, Spatial Systems, has been an 'incubatee' at At University College Falmouth's Design Centre since last September and has already attracted a great deal of interest from outside investors. The Incubatee Programme is a University College Falmouth hosted scheme to help people wanting to start a business obtain workspace and mentoring support. Currently these spaces are located in the College's Design and Media Centres at its Tremough Campus.

Workspaces are charged at a nominal rate and include phone and computer use, and incubatees are also provided with helpful support from the College's Business team regarding business planning, design leads, customer development, routes to markets and much more.

"Rachael came to the Incubatee Programme with a sound idea that she needed to develop," says 3D Design Business Fellow, Chris Chapman who is the main creative force behind the Incubatee Progamme. "She has shown dogged determination to develop this idea into a business, and has managed to learn at high speed the skills required to succeed. She thoroughly deserves the award, and the recognition it will bring will help put a milestone in her career that she'll be able to look back on and recognise as a turning point.

"Being associated with the College has been really important to the development of my company," says Rachael. "As well as support and help, especially from Chris Chapman, being based at the College has meant working in a very professional environment, and that's been really important."

To date Rachael's work has involved providing visualisations for exhibitions and interior spaces and for landscapes, but she is currently working on a range of interior products such as lighting and furniture. Once developed, her new prototype, Modular Surface Assembly, will be of great interest to the retail, museum, advertising and exhibition sectors as well as having many other applications.

For further information please contact Jillie Easterby of University College Falmouth on 01326 212261 or email jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Cornwall Research fund through the European Social Fund (ESF) and in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) project, both Phase 1 and Phase 2 through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). University College Falmouth is a partner in the CUC.

Editor's notes:

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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