A team of student entrepreneurs from Singapore have been crowned winners of the FedEx Express/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge (FedEx/JA ITC) Asia Pacific Finals in Hong Kong.
Challenged to come up with an idea for a travel security product or service for the U.K., team Kung Fu Pandas – made up of Colin Chee and Tan Jie Ying – impressed the judges with their product “RobStop”, a convertible bag with slash-proof body panels made of stainless steel mesh that can help to thwart pickpockets and protect all important personal belongings while travelling.
In total, 48 students from eight Asia-Pacific markets (Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) took part in this year’s contest.
“We came up with an idea that we thought would work and that we believed in, but some of the other team’s proposals were really outstanding, so we didn’t expect to be the winners,” said Colin Chee and Tan Jie Ying of Kung Fu Pandas.
“Taking part in the contest has been a really eye-opening experience, and it’s made us realize that, with some planning, research and a good idea, it’s surprisingly easy to set up a business in real life.”
Evelyn Tsui and Tanya Tam of team DOTS from Hong Kong took second place in the contest with their idea of “Secure Egg”, a compact portable device that helps elderly travelers in emergency situations by enabling them to connect to their families or even the police at the push of a button.
Team LOHAS, also from Hong Kong, came third. Team members Michelle Ng and Vanessa Kwang devised “KidSafe”, a children’s backpack that tracks children’s whereabouts. Once the backpack leaves the “safety zone” set by parents, the parents receive an automatic alert.
“Modern technology makes international markets more accessible to even the smallest business than ever before,” said Karen Reddington, president, FedEx Express Asia Pacific.
“I’m delighted that, by supporting FedEx Express/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge, we are helping to develop and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to recognize the opportunities for themselves. The program has grown considerably in both size and stature over the last 10 years, which is a testament of a huge success that FedEx is proud to be associated with.”
“It is remarkable that FedEx/JA ITC has now been running for 10 years and we are very proud that it has not only endured, but actually grown considerably,” said Vivian Lau, president, JA Asia Pacific.
“Our goal for the program was always to inspire young people to think big in what they can achieve in the world of business, and to enable them by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills through challenges that were as close to real life as possible. The feedback of previous years tells us that participants really benefited from the program, and we will work to ensure it remains equally valuable in the years to come.”