Budding young business minds will have the chance to showcase their talents following the launch of the 2009 Global Entrepreneurship Week yesterday.

The week will comprise a number of projects and events, including the Belco Sustainable Energy Challenge, the Greenrock Innovation Tournament and the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation (BSBDC), as announced at a press conference held yesterday by Michelle Khaldun, general manager of the BSBDC and Michael Scott, Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and E-Commerce.

Among some of the highlights of the week will be a film depicting solar panel insulation on a remote mountain top health clinic in Afghanistan by award-winning videographer Robert Zuill, and a special panel discussion on financing your new business with HSBC's small business centre, the BSBDC and financing advisor Bruce Sharpe.

Ms Khaldun kicked off proceedings by introducing the Rocket Pitch Competition, which is being run for the second year in a row, with five finalists shortlisted from a pool of 10 who came up with the most creative and feasible new business ideas.

"It is important that new ideas are nurtured in today's increasingly interconnected world," she said.

"Bermuda again joins countries all over the world as we expose young people, through this week, to the ingenuity and originality that results from entrepreneurial expression.

"The goal of this week is to highlight what we know to be the basis of any economy — entrepreneurship.

"The BSBDC is contributing along with our other partners because we understand that it is imperative to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of Bermudians and encourage the innovation needed to maintain a thriving local and international economy." Mr. Scott said his role was to highlight the relevance of and to promote the concept of sustainability throughout everything done in Bermuda on a daily basis, in particular with the generation and consumption of electricity.

"Last year we played a significant role in bringing this initiative to Bermuda and we are excited that in this second year, the event at home has been expanded and that Bermuda also joins some 84 countries globally having formed host committees," he said.

HSBC will be hosting the final presentations of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009 at the XL Corporation conference room in Bermudiana Road today, with the Belco Sustainability Energy Challenge at 5 p.m., the Greenrock Innovation Tournament at 6 p.m. and the BSBDC Rocket Pitch at 7 p.m.

The Belco challenge will look at top ideas for sustainable energy generation or use as presented by senior school students, while the Greenrock tournament will seek the best solutions for reducing the environmental impact of construction, featuring entries from Bermudians aged between 18 and 30.

The event is open to the public and prizes and awards will be presented by the Department of Energy.