The 2010 CIT Prize for Innovation ceremony took place today at Cork Institute of Technology. Sponsored by the Cork County and City Enterprise Boards, the recipients received a total of €10,000 in prize money.

1st Prize and title of CIT Entrepreneur of the Year went to team Hydrostack, which is Mechanical Engineering student Laurence Barry. Hydrostack is a heat exchanger for chimney flues and Laurence, who is from Donoughmore, Co. Cork, receives a cheque for €4,000.

Most Technically Innovative Award of €2,000 went to the Tip Top team of Daniel Henderson, Jonathon Howley, Ronan O Donoghue and Aidan Vaughan, all students of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Best Business Plan and a prize of €1,000 was awarded to Keep Me Close made up of Electronic Engineering and Business Studies students Colm Harrington, Juan F Martiez, Allanah Bates and Gary Cashman.

The Best Presentation Pitch, worth €1,000, went to Mobalift and Mechanical Engineering student Sarah Lindsey.

Most Emerging Space Award, went to MmoDL, made up of Computing and Business Studies students James O Sullivan, John Twohig and Kathryn Burguin.

Best Exhibition Stand Award, and €1,000, went to the Ez BAR team of Mechanical Engineering students Barry McKenna, Damien O’Flynn, Rian Edman and Conor Nevin-Maguire.

The prizes were presented by Dave Cody, CEO Cork City Enterprise Board.

The competition, now in its ninth year, is open to all departments within CIT and awards cash prizes to those whose inventions and business ideas are judged most creative, innovative and most likely to succeed in the marketplace. Previous winners have included Aqua Eye, a swimming aid for the visually impaired, Apri-Cot, an apparatus which acts as a sleeping aid for infants and Rigi Jig, an innovative engine repair system.

www.cit.ie