Engineering students from Lancaster University shortlisted for prestigious national award

A team of students from Lancaster University have created an eco-friendly parasol invention which has led to the nomination of a prestigious national award.

The award is funded by the charity EIBF and is a cash prize, with the winner receiving £16,500 to fund their business venture.

The seven members of the team will continue their venture and compete against nine other teams in the UK in the EIBF Champion of Champions competition.

The members of the team are Trudie Morrison, Jonathan Sharp, Hugh Lea, Natalie Chigwedere, Ano Chirongoma, Baraa Elraya and Muhamad Adam Bin Muhamad Sukhami.

Trudie Morrison said to the Lancaster Guardian: “Rather than inventing something from scratch, we took a mundane object and transformed it into something more desirable.”

“Unlike typical parasols, Parasolar creates a comfortable and convenient environment for its customers even in the most remote locations. Its self-sufficient power source offers up a sustainable solution to improve outdoor enjoyment no matter the time of day.”

The team said that the parasol is a perfect choice for event venues, beach fronts, cafés or any outdoor space looking to enhance outdoor customer experiences.

The grand final will take place at the Royal Academy of Engineering on Friday 8th November, in competition for the prize of £16,500 which will be vital to help develop their venture. As well as this, the winners will get mentoring from business leaders who are members of the Sainsbury Management Fellows network, plus CV packages from PurpleCV and entrepreneurial books from Cambridge University Press as well as an award-winning book by David Falzani MBE.

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The event is hosted by TV presenter and engineer, Rob Bell, with thousands of undergraduates taking part. The event takes place each year to support universities by giving them grants to award prizes to engineering students who develop ideas to help them develop and make a change in society.

Professor Allan Rennie, who runs the EIBF Competition at Lancaster University said to the Lancaster Guardian: “The engagement and passion of the pitch from the Parasolar team, combined with their prototype model and virtual demonstration, really made them stand out as frontrunners, and worthy of investment of the EIBF funding, to further develop their concepts.”

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