Student project wins the Award for Excellence in the finals of the Student Entrepreneur Grand Prix

After the awards ceremony

Members of "Roppongi Vege & Fruit Corporation," a project to use empty schools in Tokyo that emerged from Team-A2 of ALPS2009, participated in the finals for the "FY2009 Student Entrepreneur Grand Prix" held in Tomin Hall on Sunday, February 7. Out of a field of 230 entries, they were selected for the Award of Excellence (top three plans). The news was covered by the Fuji Television Network "Mezamashi TV" information program on Monday, February 8, including a telephone interview with Mr. Yagita, the project leader. The team also entered the "6th Campus Venture Grand Prix" and took second prize in the Tokyo round. At the nationals (800 entries) held on Wednesday, March 3, they were not, unfortunately, selected for an award.

Looking back on the competitions (Mr. Hiroyuki Yagita, leader, 1st year masters course)
I think we did everything we could possibly do in ALPS2009 and the two venture contests. I hope that ALPS2010 sees even more teams competing, learning from our results and mistakes as they pursue their own ventures.

Entrepreneurialism (Mr. Yasuhiro Matsuo, 2nd year masters course)
Participating in student venture contests opened us up to a lot of outside advice and stimulation. I am thoroughly enjoying the process by which business ideas that came out of ALPS integrated with my masters' research and are now coming together to create a new business. After I've completed my masters’ course, I hope to show the world the value of SDM by starting a business based on this project that will provide solutions to large, complex issues. I look forward to your support.