Students deliver hot prospects in business challenge

A leading air-conditioning manufacturer has hot prospects for the future after turning to University of Bradford School of Management to "crowdsource" fresh ideas from the students.

Quartz Air Conditioning, a division of Brighouse-based TEV, asked the business school for help in developing new product ideas that would give them the edge in a highly-competitive market. The solution was an innovative business challenge programme that encouraged the students to help the company find a solution.

The winning idea came from Georgia Tseroni, who was tackling the MSc in Applied Management and Enterprise, who suggested the company make use of a new soundproofing material developed by the University of Bradford. By using the material, which is also cheaper than existing options, Quartz Air Conditioning can turn up the output on the machines without increasing noise. The result is a more efficient product.

The School’s Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Christos Kalantaridis said: “This is all about enabling businesses to crowdsource innovative solutions from the school. The business challenge means businesses get fresh ideas for the big issues they face and students also get to tackle practical business issues. It’s innovation in action.”

TEV director, John Lightfoot, said the challenge had been a hugely worthwhile experience. He says: “We had a challenge with no obvious solutions and we needed some new sparks to make us think so we turned to the School of Management for help.

“It was a very complex issue and we weren’t expecting an obvious solution to come from this. However, Georgia’s idea about using this new material has real potential and we are in talks about introducing it to our product range.”

Georgia, who was awarded a tablet computer for her winning idea, is now working as a project manager in London and has ambitions to become a chartered engineer.

She says: “Bradford is the reason I’m now on the path to a promising career. It’s prepared me for any kind of challenge and also provided me with some amazing experiences.”