Member Article

Business idea goes swimmingly well

A local university lecturer has reached the grand final of the 2007 Blueprint: North East Universities Business Planning Competition, with an invention he developed after a dip in the sea led to more than he had bargained for.

Peter Hayes, 43, a senior lecturer in politics at the University of Sunderland initiated his business idea after police mistook his morning swim as an act of suicide. Peter launched ‘Swimsac’ - a rucksack that allows swimmers to carry their belongings safely in the water - after he was left stranded on the beach with no clothes when he returned from a swim. His possessions had been taken away by the police who assumed he had committed suicide.

Peter said: “After my humorous experience with the police I decided to find a way to ensure that I would no longer risk losing my clothes in future. Thankfully for me the police saw the funny side of it. “Swimsac is a waterproof rucksack that opens up a whole new way of experiencing swimming. In the past I could never swim to the other side of a large lake then go hiking at the other side because I always had to return to pick up my clothes, but now I can focus on enjoying myself without the worry of getting anything wet.”

Swimsac holds a UK patent, trademark and has several prototypes ready for production. The product is up for both the Creativity and Design and Science and Technology Awards at this year’s regional Blueprint Planning Competition Grand Final held on October 17, 2007 at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead.

The competition brings together graduates, undergraduates, staff and Alumni from the five of the North East Universities to discover the best business ideas from the region’s most talented entrepreneurs and battle for £100,000 cash and in-kind support.

For more information visit www.blueprintcompetition.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .