After participating in UHack for two consecutive years and co-winning the 2018 Open Division, Anthony Broese van Groenou co-founded his own sustainable transport business, The Good Car Company.
"Stimulating buzz under pressure in 48 hours" is how he describes the University of Tasmania's annual UHack competition, which will kick off with an online startup workshop tomorrow 2-4 pm ahead of the UHack weekend 21-23 August.
"UHack gave me the confidence to tackle complex problems and provide simple solutions. The time limitations of one weekend meant we had to come up with a solution quickly," he said.
UHack provided a different kind of pressure for Mr Broese van Groenou, who is also doing a PhD in social science at the University of Tasmania.
"UHack is a great opportunity to get people together from different walks of life to solve a real problem. I know nothing about programming, but the diversity of people brings a breadth of experience to each team."
Since Christmas 2019, The Good Car Company has sold more electric vehicles in Tasmania than Tesla and is now expanding interstate.
"Tasmania is the ideal place to start a clean energy initiative because there is an obvious big impact on the local community and the resources we consume," Mr Broese van Groenou said.
The University of Tasmania's recently appointed Executive Director, Innovation and Enterprise, Professor Craig Johnson, said Tasmania is an ideal location for emerging businesses because of the ease of networking between creative, business and tech sectors.
"UHack isn't just about tech. It's for people of all backgrounds to solve problems that matter and bring something innovative and useful into the world," Professor Johnson said.
"The UHack weekend is a supportive springboard for startups which we know spark vibrancy, jobs and growth, all critical for the future of Tasmania, particularly in the recovery from COVID-19.
"While COVID-19 has thrown us challenges, it has also inspired new ideas in tech and innovation, and we will no doubt see this at UHack."
This is the fifth year that the University of Tasmania's Information Technology and Shared Services staff have been organising the energetic events in Burnie, Launceston and Hobart.
This year the pre-competition events and the UHack weekend will be held entirely online. Participants will be able to live-stream workshops, chat with mentors and collaborate with team members remotely via a specially designed platform.
Participation is free-of-charge, and competitors are in to win more than $24,000 in prizes and cash thanks to the sponsors, particularly platinum sponsor Dell.
Tomorrow, Saturday, 8 August, the online startup workshop on lean business tools and entrepreneurial thinking will prepare participants for the competition. It will be facilitated by the University of Tasmania's Dr Onnida Thongpravati, who directs the master's program in entrepreneurship and innovation.
