Bayreuth students at the International Business Plan Competition in Guangzhou
Twelve students from the University of Bayreuth had the opportunity to exchange ideas with other students in China and develop ideas together.
Company visit to Pony AI
Twelve students from the University of Bayreuth took part in the International Business Plan Competition 2024 in Guangzhou (IBPC) from 3-13 January 2024 under the direction of Prof. Dr Volker Altstädt and Prof. Dr Stefan Seifert. The programme started with a tour of the new university campus in Guangzhou, a branch of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), where the Bayreuth participants got to know their team members from Hong Kong and Illinois (USA).
Over the next ten days, the international teams of six students each worked on business ideas that respond to social challenges in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), the region around Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, also known as the "Silicon Valley of China". Several local companies were familiarised with during excursions: Drone manufacturer DJI presented its current product portfolio and various use cases of its unmanned flying objects in agriculture, the media industry and engineering during a visit to the company headquarters. The incubator iMakerbase provided information about the opportunities for rapid prototyping in Shenzhen, known as Electronic City, which is a global leader in electronics innovations. Many students also took the opportunity to explore the electronics markets in Shenzhen. The visit to the start-up Pony AI, which operates a fleet of autonomous taxis in a pilot project in Guangzhou, was particularly impressive.
Group photo during the visit to the drone manufacturer DJI
On the Bayreuth side, the competition was prepared and organised by Christoph Kretschmer. In addition to excursions and intensive work phases, the programme included regular feedback sessions with the mentors from the participating universities. The intercultural cooperation within the teams was a particular learning experience for the students. The aim here was to unite different expectations of the work process and the result and to work out the particular strengths of each team by combining different perspectives, methodological approaches and individual skills.
The programme concluded on the last day with the teams' pitches. The business models presented covered a wide range of topics. The Detecta-Cap team presented a non-invasive application that registers cerebral infarctions and epileptic seizures and requests the necessary help. Other teams focussed on problems arising in connection with the one-child policy and the ageing of Chinese society: For example, Pearl presented a tablet-based service that uses a voice-controlled and interactive avatar to help older people organise their daily lives, for example by reminding them to take their medication or schedule doctor's appointments. The area of education and child motivation was also addressed by two teams: HoloPet's business idea is a play figure that creates a hologram and motivates children to complete tasks on time.
First place went to the FlxFit team led by Bayreuth students Svenja Kräutter (2nd from left) and Justus Riegger (3rd from right)
The jury, which consisted of venture capitalists and experts from technology companies, was won over by the FlxFit team led by Bayreuth students Svenja Kräutter and Justus Riegger. They designed an AI-supported app that accompanies physiotherapy treatment by monitoring the correct execution of physiotherapy exercises.
The event was organised on site by a team from HKUST led by Professor Betty Lin. The instructive and varied programme gave the Bayreuth students an understanding of China and the GBA region. The feedback from the participating students was overwhelmingly positive. Roberto Kraus Caballero summarises: "The opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in an international and interactive setting and at the same time to receive in-depth input from a wide variety of sources makes this event one of the most valuable at the University of Bayreuth."
The event was made possible by the thematic, content-related and financial support of the Bavarian University Centre for China (BayChina), the University Association of the University of Bayreuth, the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (IEI) and the alumni network RWalumni. Interested students can look forward to representing the University of Bayreuth at the next edition of the IBPC in Texas in January 2025. The programme will once again offer the opportunity for a practical and intercultural learning experience.