Canadian post-secondary students are being asked to look into the future for transformational technologies or practices that will change the banking industry five years from now. Those whose crystal balls prove most interesting or inspiring will share in $45,000 in prize money.
The fifth annual
Next Great Innovator Challenge, announced last week, continues the company's tradition of seeking the ingenuity of students to drive forward the banking business. According to RBC, many of the winning submissions from past years have been refined by the bank and introduced, including the "VIBE interactive personal banking station," the 2007 winning submission, which is now a pilot project at the financial institution.
"We're working in a different landscape now and the very way in which
people approach financial services is constantly evolving," said Avi
Pollock, head, Applied Innovation and Strategic Planning, RBC,
in a release. "This
year's challenge takes this into consideration and we want to hear from
students what they think financial services should look like in five
years. It's not just about a good idea though: students must consider
how to implement their innovation."
Teams wanting to enter must register by November 8 and submit entries by December 10. More information is available at the
challenge website.
Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Avi Pollock, Head of Applied Innovation, RBC