Idea Bank: Industry Challenges

Want to develop a business idea but don’t know where to start? Real needs and problems across different industries can provide a strong foundation for promising new ideas. The RSU Business Incubator Idea Bank brings together real challenges submitted by companies, institutions and professionals from various fields. You can use them as a starting point for developing your own idea through the incubator programmes.

By choosing a challenge, you will be able to:

• work on a real and relevant industry problem;
• explore the problem and its target audience;
• validate potential solutions;
• collaborate with mentors and experts familiar with the relevant industry and challenge.

Choosing an industry challenge does not create any obligations toward the company or organisation that submitted it. The solution you develop remains your own idea, and you are not required to share it with or transfer it to the challenge provider.

Submit an industry challenge

Is there a problem, challenge or unmet need in your industry that could benefit from a fresh perspective?

We invite companies, organisations, industry professionals and other interested parties to submit challenges to the RSU Business Incubator Idea Bank.

Your challenge could become the starting point for student teams participating in RSU Business Incubator programmes. Teams may analyse the problem, explore user and market needs, develop and validate potential solutions, and create prototypes.

What types of challenges can be submitted?

We welcome specific problems and challenges from a wide range of industries and fields, including:

• healthcare;
• pharmaceuticals and biotechnology;
• medical technologies;
• digitalisation;
• artificial intelligence;
• sustainability;
• business and organisational processes;
• communications and customer experience;
• other areas that could benefit from a fresh perspective or an innovative solution.

A challenge does not need to be a fully developed project idea. It should describe a real problem, gap or unmet need whose solution could create value for an organisation, an industry or society.

How does the submission process work?

1. Submit your challenge
   Complete the application form and briefly describe the problem, its context and the outcome you would like to achieve.
2. We will contact you
   The RSU Business Incubator team will get in touch to clarify the challenge and discuss potential forms of collaboration.
3. The challenge is added to the Idea Bank
   Suitable challenges will be presented to students and teams as starting points for developing new business ideas and solutions.
4. Teams explore potential solutions
   If a team chooses your challenge, we will agree with you individually on the most suitable form and scope of further involvement.

Questions? Contact the RSU Business Incubator team at inkubatorsrsu[pnkts]lv.