Dublin City Council is delighted to announce that the team from Trinity College Dublin were awarded the winners of the ENFUSE Finals 2024 for their collaboration with Ei Travel Group.
Published on 24th May 2024
Minister of State Emer Higgins, with responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail, congratulated the winning team who were presented with a specially commissioned trophy that will be hosted by their university for the next 12 months.
The winning project involved the students conducting research and analysis regarding Ei Travel Group. The team formed insights, proposed solutions and ultimately presented a tangible plan setting out how Ei Travel Group can expand and develop new market opportunities. Through the use of tools like the triple diamond model, and empathetic interviews, the team created key personas to be utilised by the enterprise in developing better relationships with their clientele.
Now in its 6th year, ENFUSE matches local SMEs, micro enterprises and social enterprises with teams of Master’s students. Teams develop and present bespoke plans to their allocated enterprises to implement and to their lecturer to assess. These plans outline ways for the business to address challenges they face and develop competitive opportunities to expand.
The initiative is co-led by Dublin City Council and Local Enterprise Office Dublin City in collaboration with TU Dublin, DCU, NCI, UCD and TCD and is supported by and involves numerous regional stakeholders all aligned to the ambitions of the Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 and the Dublin Regional Skills Forum Plan (an initiative of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science)
Overall, 8 student teams competed at this year’s ENFUSE Finals by pitching to expert industry judges on the plans they produced. The 8 teams were shortlisted from a total of 69 teams that participated in ENFUSE 2024. The top three teams won specialist mentoring and training supports from the Local Enterprise Office and a Skills Audit from the Dublin Regional Skills Forum for their allocated enterprises, along with prizes from Dublin Place Brand.
The top 3 teams at the ENFUSE Finals 2024 were as follows:
1st Place
Team: Conor McIntyre, Aparna Keegan, Elaine Collins, David Cook, Kim Laglagaron, Nicola Bloger, Finola Roache
Client Enterprise: Ei Travel Group
Lecturer: Dr. Ronika Chakrabarti
University/College: Trinity College Dublin
2nd Place
Team: Mohamed Ali, Margarite Foran, Jacques Barnard, Aaron Ram
Client Enterprise: The Meath Foundation
Lecturer: Joe Houghton
University/College: UCD
3rd Place
Team: Emma Brassanini, Cian Owens, Sydney Goldsmith-Powell, Kanishk Bhan, Juliette Zonens, Kara Anders
Client Enterprise: Rare Jewellery
Lecturer: Dr. Stephen Murphy
University/College: Trinity College Dublin
Speaking on the night, Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail Emer Higgins T.D. said: “Congratulations to the Enterprises, Master’s Students, Lecturers and Universities involved in this year’s ENFUSE finals. ENFUSE brings students, local enterprises, social enterprises, and stakeholders together with a shared goal: innovation. By promoting this collaboration, ENFUSE facilitates the development of impactful solutions. Local enterprises and social enterprises gain invaluable access to research and new ideas, while students are empowered by hands-on, real-world learning experiences. ENFUSE exemplifies the power of collective effort, driving positive change and fostering a culture of innovation for the benefit of all.
Promoting the benefits to enterprises that participate, Greg Swift, Head of Enterprise with LEO Dublin City commented: “supporting local businesses has always been at the heart of the Local Enterprise Office. It’s our commitment to driving the economic growth of Dublin. ENFUSE represents another stride forward in this endeavour, delivering fresh, dynamic, and innovative solutions to everyday challenges. By leveraging the incredible talent of our students, we empower businesses with new perspectives, ensuring a stronger, wiser, and more progressive future for all.”
***Attached please find winners photo taken by Conor McCabe Photography***
ENDS
Notes to the Editor:
The ENFUSE Finals was the culmination of this year’s ENFUSE programme which involved 454 master’s students that supported 69 local enterprises and social enterprises. ENFUSE is led by Dublin City Council (DCC) / Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Dublin City in collaboration with Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin); Dublin City University (DCU); National College of Ireland (NCI); University College Dublin (UCD) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD). It is supported by and operated in alignment with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, South Dublin and Fingal County Councils and their respective Local Enterprise Offices, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER); Dublin Place Brand; the Dublin Regional Skills Forum (DRSF); Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS); Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024; Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Enterprise Ireland; GradStart and the European Year of Skills.
ENFUSE matches local enterprises and social enterprises with teams of masters level university and college students. During semester 2 (January-May) as part of a module, students work in teams typically of 4-6 members with selected enterprises. The students help provide insights, propose solutions and ultimately present a bespoke and tangible plan that sets out how the enterprise can innovate, address challenges and develop opportunities. Student teams present the plan to the enterprise to implement and to their module lecturer to assess. Students thus have the opportunity to apply their learning in a real life scenario and to support a local enterprise.
ENFUSE aims to:
- Support local enterprises by providing bespoke plans to innovate, address challenges and develop opportunities
- Provide masters students with real-world consultancy and enterprise experience
- Enhance the local innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem
Further information on ENFUSE:
https://www.localenterprise.ie/DublinCity/Enterprise-Development/ENFUSE/
Further information on the ENFUSE Finals: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/enfuse-finals-2024-tickets-708579389027