The Engineers in Business funding was incorporated into Cardiff University’s Start-up Awards, an annual ideas competition for Cardiff University students and graduates which provide prizes and support to help them develop innovative business ideas. There are two stages - in the autumn semester, students pitch for smaller amounts of funding to assist with validating their ideas. In the spring semester, the competition final gives students the opportunity to win larger sums of funding and support services such as legal advice, banking advice and access to professional workspace.
Winner: Rusty Design Limited - Pictured right, Bleddyn Williams, PhD in Biosciences with co-founder Morgan Williams, who has a BSc in Sports Science and an MSc in Sports Engineering - £3,000 Engineers in Business Prize
Rusty Design Limited is a rapid prototyping and small-scale manufacturing business which has two main revenue generating processes. The first of which is assisting clients in the development of product concepts into marketable pilot-stage prototypes. The second process is generating and developing in-house innovative concepts. For all projects, the aim is to generate and obtain the IP that is associated with each project for the product's lifetime. Rusty Design has completed 6 projects for clients to-date.
Rusty Design’s vision going forward is to deliver innovative rapid prototyping solutions to clients that are aiming to bring sports products to the market. By developing expertise in 3D printing and Computer Aided Design, the business aims to deliver and provide prototypes and novel manufacturing methods to clients for a fraction of the cost that would previously be required for the same services.
Rusty Design Limited is a rapid prototyping and small-scale manufacturing business which has two main revenue generating processes. The first of which is assisting clients in the development of product concepts into marketable pilot-stage prototypes. The second process is generating and developing in-house innovative concepts. For all projects, the aim is to generate and obtain the IP that is associated with each project for the product's lifetime. Rusty Design has completed 6 projects for clients to-date.
Rusty Design’s vision going forward is to deliver innovative rapid prototyping solutions to clients that are aiming to bring sports products to the market. By developing expertise in 3D printing and Computer Aided Design, the business aims to deliver and provide prototypes and novel manufacturing methods to clients for a fraction of the cost that would previously be required for the same services.
Positive Feedback
The EIBF support to Cardiff University has been a tremendous support in allowing a central team to engage more of our engineering staff and students with business start-up support. Thanks to the EIBF funding our start-up support has had greater visibility amongst some of our most innovative students. As a result, we have been able to support and
grow a highly ambitious and innovative business.
The funding has also helped to grow our network of supporters and collaborators amongst academics in the School of Engineering, which increased opportunities to deliver enterprise and innovation content to students in the school. This includes talks to launch a new summer school in 2021 specifically
around entrepreneurship for engineers and computer scientists.
Rhys Pearce-Palmer, Enterprise Manager, Cardiff University