While students traditionally present posters highlighting their research, asking students to answer the following three questions in 90 seconds—(1) what real-life problem their research addressed, (2) how they solved it in a unique way, and (3) what impact it would have for society and in achieving their Center’s mission—allows them to learn a succinct way of talking about their research in the context of societal needs and the broader impact of their success. These short presentations, or an “elevator pitch,” are organized as a competition among students. Each ERC holds an internal competition in order to select one winner to send to the finals at the ERC Program Biennial Meeting, where an overall winner and two runners-up are chosen by a distinguished panel of judges from industry and the venture capital world.
