The Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE) has launched a program aimed at helping Memorial University engineering co-op students identify real-world problems that could lead to the creation of new companies.
The initiative, called the Problem Identification Lab Program, is now accepting applications from students who have observed challenges during their co-op placements. The program is delivered by MCE in collaboration with Memorial University’s Engineering Co-op Office.
According to MCE, the program is designed to shift the focus of early-stage entrepreneurship from generating ideas to identifying meaningful, industry-rooted problems. Students are encouraged to document issues such as inefficiencies, safety risks, or costly workarounds encountered in the workplace and develop clear, non-confidential problem statements.
“In the coming decades, the most successful emerging innovators would be exceptionally skilled at identifying and defining problems,” said Isaac Adejuwon, CEO and Founder of Metricsflow and a MUN alumnus. “They would be entirely problem-driven, rather than solution-driven, because AI would significantly support solutions. Ultimately, the challenges they uncover would help shape the next wave of innovation in our lifetime.”
The Problem Identification Lab provides structured support to participating students. This includes access to MCE programs and workspace, one-on-one coaching, and feedback from alumni working in relevant industries. Participants may also receive up to $2,000 in optional in-kind support.
As part of the process, students submit a concise problem statement based on their co-op experience. They can then choose to either contribute the problem to a shared “Problem Bank” — a repository intended to support future startup ideas — or continue developing the problem independently with MCE guidance.
Submissions are reviewed by a panel of Memorial University alumni with sector-specific experience. The panel evaluates each problem based on clarity, specificity, real-world impact, and relevance to industry needs. Selected submissions may be showcased at an end-of-term event, where top entries can receive recognition awards.
The program is open to engineering students currently on co-op work terms across all industries. MCE says the goal is to build a continuous pipeline of high-quality, industry-informed problems that can serve as the foundation for new ventures.
By emphasizing problem identification, the initiative aims to align student entrepreneurship with market demand and practical experience gained in the field.
