Arctic Innovation Competition accepting submissions

September 10, 2018

UAF Photo by JR Ancheta. Piper Wilder holds her winning check from the 2017 UAF Arctic Innovation Competition.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Management will award $30,000 in cash prizes through its annual Arctic Innovation Competition.

The competition, presented by Usibelli Coal Mine, is now in its 10th year. Competitors propose new, feasible and potentially profitable ideas, which are evaluated by a panel of judges. The deadline to submit an entry is 11:59 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, 2018.

In 2017, submitted ideas covered a broad range of subjects. Winning ideas included a handheld device that allows voting from any location, a virtual reality garage sale and a water tank depth sensor that uses sound waves to take measurements. Last year’s $10,000 grand-prize winner was Piper Wilder for her idea, 60Hertz. A microgrid service for remote Arctic communities, 60Hertz uses a software application to support power plant operators in their maintenance programs and alert them of any issues before they become expensive equipment failures.

The competition is open to the public, there is no entry fee and ideas do not have to be related to the Arctic. Three divisions are now accepting submissions: Main Division (ages 18 and up), Junior Division (ages 13-17) and Cub Division (ages 12 and under). Individuals or teams are encouraged to enter, and multiple ideas are accepted. After the initial screening process, up to 32 winners will be selected to receive cash prizes ranging from $25 to $10,000. Finalists will showcase their ideas to judges from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Wedgewood Resort, with a reception to follow. The public is invited to attend.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Tammy Tragis-McCook, 907-474-7042, tammy.tragis@alaska.edu

ON THE WEB: www.arcticinno.com