Three entrepreneurs from the Highlands have won a trip to the world famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, USA.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and UHI Millenium Institute (UHI) offered the unique opportunity to help businesses reach their full potential. 

The winners are Gary Campbell of Environmental Hygiene Products Ltd, based in Tain, Pete Kelly of C3 Amulet in Dingwall and Jamie Smith, managing director of the Ice Factor in Kinlochleven. 

The three business people entered their ambitious business plans and battled it out to win a place at MIT's Entrepreneurship Development Programme where they will use the help and inspiration of world-class innovators. 

The programme covers the entire venture creation process from idea generation to building viable businesses with special emphasis on the nurturing roles of corporations, universities, governments and foundations.  Using MIT's entrepreneurial culture as a model, participants learn what they need to know to make high-tech start-ups successful.

The competition was judged by a panel from HIE and UHI.  Calum Davidson, head of HIE's Knowledge Economy said:  "All the entries were excellent and the judges were impressed by the quality and number that were submitted. However, there could only be three winners and we would like to congratulate them. The Entrepreneurship Programme will connect the local businesses to some of the most innovative business thinking and ambitious people in the world - bringing significant benefits to the area."

Dr Kerry Godfrey, UHI dean of business and leisure, said:  "This is such an exciting opportunity to support entrepreneurial development in the region.  The link with MIT represents a starting point for UHI in building our own programmes to encourage enterprise and innovation in the Highlands and Islands."