BT Ireland Selects So what? who cares? why you?® Commercialization Methodology for Pioneering Program

March 2, 2010 – This week, BT Ireland will kick off an innovative program focused on giving 53 of Ireland's top student performers the entrepreneurial experience of a life time. The students, award winners from the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, will take part in four days of training and mentoring to experience the process of translating innovative science and technology into compelling commercial value propositions. The So what? who cares? why you?® methodology provides the program's core structure and entrepreneurial training platform.

William McAuliffe, Business Development Manager, BT, said: "BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition has a long and iconic history in Ireland of fostering scientific thinking among high-school students. This year we are expanding our scope to ignite entrepreneurial thinking in our future science and technology stars, and to expose them to the process of translating scientific innovations into commercial opportunities. So what? who cares? why you?® has made this possible, with a unique methodology for commercialization, and tools tailored to inspiring young scientific and technical minds about entrepreneurship."

The BT Business of Science & Technology Program rewards top performers from the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition with exposure to the process of identifying the commercial opportunities inherent in scientific ideas and inventions. The selected students receive input from prominent Irish executives, mentorship from BT experts in business and marketing, as well as structured training in entrepreneurship based on the So what? who cares? why you?® methodology, which also underpins several youth entrepreneurship programs underway in North America.

Larry Taylor, Marketing Manager, BT,added: "Working with Wendy Kennedy on design of the BT Business of Science & Technology Programme has been incredibly rewarding. She has given us a great amount of support, time and guidance to develop this product and was the driving force behind our approach to using real-world case studies from within Ireland to deliver the program."

Working in teams as simulated start-up companies, the students will learn how to identify, articulate and demonstrate the commercial opportunity that their assigned scientific idea represents. Industry experts will also provide the students with perspective and real-world experience throughout the three days. The program culminates with each student team making a formal presentation to a panel of executives serving as a mock group of investors. Top-performing teams from the week will be invited to participate in summer internships with an Irish university.

Wendy Kennedy, President of wendykennedy.com inc. and architect of So what? who cares? why you?®, said: "These young people represent tomorrow's leaders, and by sewing the seeds of entrepreneurial thinking at this early age we can prepare a new generation of company builders and commercially savvy scientists, engineers, and researchers."

For more information:
BT Science & Technology Exhibition website: www.btyoungscientist.com/
BT Business of Science & Technology Programme web page: www.btyoungscientist.com/all-you-need-to-know/biz.php