Arctic Innovation Competition finals scheduled Oct. 17

October 12, 2015

UAF photo by JR Ancheta. AIC 2014 cub division winner Lewis Enterkin holds his first-place check.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Management will award more than $25,000 in cash prizes Saturday, Oct. 17, after the final round of presentations in the 2015 Arctic Innovation Competition.

The competition, now in its seventh year, invites innovators to propose new, feasible and potentially profitable ideas for solving real-life problems and challenges.

The main division semifinal presentations begin in the UAF Wood Center ballroom at 11:15 a.m., and the junior (ages 13 to 17) and cub (ages 12 and under) division presentations will start at 2 p.m. The main division final four presentations will begin at 3 p.m., followed by the BP Award Ceremony and Reception at 4 p.m.

New this year is the addition of the “Fan Favorite” award. Members of the audience may vote for their favorite idea in each division. Other activities include a comedian, a robotics presentation, face painting and guest Wylie Rogers, the 2014 AIC Alaska Student Kicker prizewinner for building a better goal post for ice hockey.

A panel of judges will choose the winners in each division. Cash prizes for the main division include a grand prize of $10,000, $5,000 for second place, $2,000 for third place, $1,000 for fourth place and 16 awards of $100 each. Competitors from the junior and cub divisions, sponsored by Kinross Fort Knox, will share $2,150 in cash prizes.

AIC cub division finalists include Gage Tilly, a 12-year-old with big plans for the Smoke Choke, his pollution-reduction system for wood stoves. “If a lot of people use it, it would have a big effect on unwanted air pollution,” said Tilly. “People around the world could follow Fairbanks’ lead and look at us as the example.”

Intriguing entries in the main division include: All Terrain Fat Tire Electric Scooter, Hot Ice Igloo, Tidal Pumped Hydro Storage and Paraplegic Sit Ski.

The public is invited to attend; all attendees will be eligible to win one of two Alaska Airlines tickets.

ON THE WEB: www.arcticinno.com