A fob watch that provides easy access to Apple watch technology for nurses and healthcare workers is the winning idea at Murdoch University’s 2018 Young Entrepreneur Program (YEP).
Designed by Bachelor of Nursing student Jordan Kidd, the Smart Fob watch is designed to give health professionals – who must remain bare below the elbows at all times while on duty – remote access to Apple watch data.
Jordan won the YEP Award pitch final held at Australian High Commissioner Bruce Gosper’s residence in Singapore. His Smart Fob watch idea was praised for being a practical solution, while addressing a current technological gap in the market.
“The Smart Fob strap replaces a nurse’s analogue fob watch, allowing access to the Apple smart watch while remaining bare below the elbows,” Jordan said. “Using default apps, the Apple watch can be used to set times or reminders, or use Siri for quick calculations.
“I'm also hoping to develop a referencing app. That will have useful information, such as normal vital sign ranges, electrolyte levels and drug calculation formulas.
“As a final year nursing student, I started Murdoch’s Young Entrepreneurial Program with zero experience in marketing, starting a small business or making a financial plan. I joined the Reactor Bootcamp with a product idea and prototype that I didn’t even think would be relevant to the program scope.”
After completing YEP workshops and numerous hours of research and preparation, Jordan pitched his idea to a panel of four judges and a crowd of 55 Murdoch alumni, industry bodies and potential investors at the final.
“The competition was strong, which made it harder to believe when I was announced the winner of Murdoch’s 2018 Young Entrepreneur Program,” Jordan said.
YEP is a structured program held over eight weeks. Designed for Murdoch University students interested in business, tech and start-ups, YEP equips students with the relevant knowledge and skills to kick-start their entrepreneurial journey.
Innovative ideas encouraged
Director of Murdoch’s Singapore Centre for Research in Innovation, Productivity and Technology Chris Vas said YEP was developed with Murdoch’s vision of being creative force for current and future generations in mind.
“YEP is one of the many initiatives aligned to that purpose, enabling our students to think outside the box, to go beyond the books and laptops and to ideate solutions to real world problems,” Associate Professor Vas said.
“We also want to play a role in connecting students with peers within and outside of Murdoch.”
In conjunction with the Reactor Bootcamp, YEP stimulates entrepreneurial skills among Murdoch University students to ensure graduates are employable and have the skills to future-proof their career opportunities.
Design Thinking Workshops were organised by the Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA) to assist students in fine-tuning their pitches. The winners will take part in the CBA Innovation Lab experience in Sydney.
Three student teams from Murdoch’s Perth, Singapore and Dubai campuses pitched their product or service to a panel of judges, comprising Murdoch University Provost Professor Romy Lawson, Jetstar CEO Barathan Pasupathi, Austrade Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Prerana Mehta and CSIRO Director Liza Noonan.
Mentors from each location challenged the teams and helped them critically refine their innovative ideas.
The YEP Awards are sponsored by the Commonwealth Bank and Kaplan Singapore.