Matthew Hogan
Innovation was the name of the game as a team of cross-discipline students took out the top prize at the University of Canberra's inaugural Tech Fest at the INSPIRE Centre earlier this year.
The winning team saw Bachelor of Arts student Nick Blood, Bachelor of Engineering in Network and Software Engineering student Alisdair Robertson and Bachelor of Social Sciences student John Michael Peralta present a number of great ideas, including the winning student-focused smartphone app idea.
The app prototype enables students to check-in when they arrive to university so they can easily find their friends to study and socialise with when they are on campus.
Tech Fest 2015 was open to all tertiary and Year 12 students in the ACT.
Rebecca Armstrong, deputy director of Projects and Innovation with the University's Information and Technology Management team, said the students collaborated very well in what will become an annual event.
"The fact that the team not only came from three different courses at the University, but from three different faculties, shows the value of cross-discipline collaboration when it comes to innovation," she said.
"We valued the winning team's enthusiasm and contribution to the inaugural event so much that we have asked them to assist in planning the 2016 event."
The first place students each won a $250 Visa gift card.
Attendees also got to engage with speakers from Indian IT multi-national Wipro to get a taste of where their studies could lead them.
Global computer giant Dell and business intelligence consultancy firm Altis also provided support as event partners.
Preparations are underway for Tech Fest 2016 , with organisers pencilling in a series of workshops with high profile speakers leading and a team presentation day for Semester One.
