A graduate who is bringing computer games to North East student, bars was last night named the 'Winner of the 2009 North East Universities Business Awards.IWCYC member Helmut Okike’s firm Campus Games which began last year spurred by memories of being bored waiting for this lectures to start at Sunderland University, was named the winner of the Blueprint Business Award. The 28-year old from Gateshead set up the company to install games consoles into student unions and common rooms with his friend Belema Roberts, 30, and several universities have already signed up.
He was one of three winners who left the Newcastle Gateshead Hilton with £7500 to help turn their business ideas into a reality as well as bizkit of support and advice donated in kind by members of the regional business community.
The Creativity and Design Award was won by fellow IWCYC member Matthew Heap's company StuRents, a student accommodation rental and marketing company from Durham University and the Science and Technology Award was won by FScan, which is a Durham University spin out that has developed kits to quickly test for prostate cancer.
The winner of the Musa Dare 'To Be Different Award went to ethical party bag firm Pure Pouches, the brainchild of IWCYC members Donna Hildrew and Gillian Gordon from Northumbria University, and the Garbeau Award went to StuRents.
The Runners-up were Bikehire UK from Sunderland University (IWCYC member Christopher Bushell's company) for the Business Awards, Debate & Innovate from Durham University for the Creativity & Design Awards, and Data Exploration from Northumbria University for the Science & Technology Awards.
One North East supported event, devised by Professor Brian Tanner and Professor Max Robinson of the North East Centre for Scientific Enterprise (NECSE) saw 21 finalists from the five regional universities - Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside - pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts who analysed the businesses and decided on the winner for each category.
The evening saw a special welcome from BBC's Dragons 'Den 'Doug Richard, who is currently in the region to show his support to the Blueprint competition and to promote his 'School for Start-ups' events.
He said: "Helping our university graduates commercialise their busi¬ness ideas is absolutely vital if we are to take innovation from academia out into the global economy. Blueprint has a solid track record in working with its region's universities to celebrate and incubate the next generation of entrepreneurs, to provide the support -practical and emotional - to take the leap of faith and start trading for real.
"It is a great example of an initiative that is dead set on keeping its, talent in the region and helping it thrive."
Now in its sixth year, the competition has helped set up more than 163 firms and create nearly 300 jobs.
