Research to Business

New opportunity at the InnovationChallenge 2023: Fast and practical.

The InnovationChallenge Sustainable Production and Mobility will enter its second round in early 2023. Two project tandems told the editorial team about their participation in the smart funding program. Let us convince you of the benefits and take part yourself this time! Submit a challenge as a company by January 16, 2023, or accredit yourself as a research partner in time to be part of the pitch on February 16, 2023.

The InnovationChallenge promotes innovative transfer projects in the fields of production and mobility. The application round for 2023 is open. (Image: Sergey Nivens)
The InnovationChallenge promotes innovative transfer projects in the fields of production and mobility. The application round for 2023 is open. (Image: Sergey Nivens)

After the premiere in 2022, the InnovationCampus Mobility of the Future (ICM) is once again hosting the straightforward funding program for innovation projects from companies and state universities in Baden-Württemberg: The InnovationChallenge Sustainable Production and Mobility. The program was announced by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg and scores with high speed: From the end of the submission to the funding decision in just two months.

The funding program brings together concrete research challenges of companies (SMEs and start-ups preferred) with the know-how and research infrastructure of public universities. An essential aspect of the InnovationChallenge is that the practical tasks come from the participating companies. The participating universities then work out solutions to these problems. At the hackathon, both sides are brought together and can decide whether one fits the other. On this day, the researchers present their solution approaches to the company representatives and explain how they would approach the challenge together with the company. On the same day, the best concept per Challenge is selected by the companies and a project consortium is formed. Successful matches can start implementing their joint project application after it has been approved; a maximum project duration of 18 months is eligible for funding.

Innovative solutions sought

The ICM is looking for research ideas that contribute to overcoming the challenges on the way to resource-efficient, sustainable mobility solutions and production technologies. Application-oriented research for environmentally friendly technologies, automation solutions or production techniques should clearly stand out from the current state of the art. Solutions characterized by particular flexibility and resilience in the face of strained supply chains and emerging production crises will also be considered. The Challenge aims to be an incentive and opportunity for players in these fields to tackle original solutions - to increase resource efficiency, reduce environmental impact, improve process reproducibility and safety, and increase productivity and profitability.

With the InnovationChallenge, companies can strengthen their development work and are presented with innovative solutions for their challenge task by the universities. (Image: Amadeus Bramsiepe / KIT)
With the InnovationChallenge, companies can strengthen their development work and are presented with innovative solutions for their challenge task by the universities. (Image: Amadeus Bramsiepe / KIT)

From 0 to 100 to the innovation project

Companies benefit from the fast process and the low-threshold nature of the InnovationChallenge award procedure. Hendrik Mütherich from PREMIUM ROBOTICS GmbH started the joint funding project "TransVision" with Esslingen University of Applied Sciences in 2022 and remembers: "The Challenge was a very unbureaucratic and streamlined way to apply for a public research project. The formal hurdles were very low from our point of view." Mütherich emphasizes that the individual steps from defining the task to approving the project were very short and the effort required was relatively low. This is particularly helpful for companies, he says.

With the support project, companies can strengthen their development work and are presented with innovative solutions for the challenge posed by the project outlines from the universities. Theo Seiler from the student start-up project MoThor Batteries is also convinced by the Challenge: "I find the speed with which everything was organized and also the quality of the organization unique. In a very short time, we had an innovation project up and running that really opens the door for us on the market. Especially as a start-up, this validation with a scientific partner was worth its weight in gold." The Institute for Product Development (IPEK) at KIT, represented by Philip Müller-Welt, provided him with a suitable partner in the "Cell Contacting" project through the InnovationChallenge.

 

You would also like to implement your research question with university partners? Go ahead and submit a challenge in the new round!

Dates for companies:

- 16.01.2023: Deadline for submission of an InnovationChallenge by companies based in Baden-Württemberg.

- 30.01.2023: Announcement of the selected Challenges

- 16.02.2023: Hackathon and formation of the consortia at the ZEISS Innovation Hub @KIT in Karlsruhe.

- 27.02.2023, 1 p.m.: Deadline for submission of project outline incl. cost and work plan

- 13.03.2023, 1 p.m.: Submission deadline for the final binding bid of the companies

- 16.03.2023: Announcement of the individual grants

At the InnovationChallenge, universities have the opportunity to present their solution approaches in competition with other research groups and, if successful, to receive funding. (Image: Amadeus Bramsiepe / KIT)
At the InnovationChallenge, universities have the opportunity to present their solution approaches in competition with other research groups and, if successful, to receive funding. (Image: Amadeus Bramsiepe / KIT)

Innovation with plannable effort

The participating research institutions, however, also benefit from the funding program. Universities have the opportunity to present their solution approaches in competition with other research groups and, in case of success, to receive the funding. Clear challenges, speed of implementation and links to industry-related research topics make it particularly easy for research groups to plan their projects. For Professor Dr.-Ing. Marius Pflüger from the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, who is currently still being funded with the industry partner PREMIUM ROBOTICS, the practical relevance is a unique selling point: "The challenges are set up very realistically. Many other calls for proposals don't get this close to practice." He was so impressed by the funding that he is promoting the new round to his colleagues in Esslingen. Philip Müller-Welt from IPEK at KIT, research partner of MoThor Batteries, is equally impressed: "The format of the InnovationChallenge worked quickly and straightforwardly. You can adjust thematically relatively well to what you want to implement concretely in the project at the end. This means that if the task fits well with the profile of the institute, submitting an application is only a small step with manageable effort."

Are you conducting research at a state university in Baden-Württemberg and enjoy taking on industry-related challenges with your team? Then apply as a research partner to solve a challenge.

Dates for researchers:

- 30.01.2023: Inspection of approved challenges after accreditation

- 08.02.2023: Application deadline for participation in the hackathon

- 16.02.2023: Hackathon and match making of the consortia at the ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT in Karlsruhe

- 27.02.2023, 1 p.m.: Deadline for submission of project outline incl. cost and work plan and first bid

- 16.03.2023: Announcement of the individual grants

Advantages for both sides

During the InnovationChallenge, each partner meets the other on an equal footing. " Both companies are motivated to think in detail about the research question and the objective in advance. However, the universities are also in demand and enter with the project outlines in a very practice-oriented manner. Preliminary work and matching make it possible to check out each other's working methods and get a feel for each other," explains Prof. Pflüger. An additional plus point is that "both partners have a clear goal in mind right from the start. Expectations and tasks are clearly defined. Communication with the partners and the ICM was very good and without long detours," describes the researcher Müller-Welt.

The InnovationChallenge is the ideal opportunity to make new contacts - whether with companies, startups, research institutions or research groups that are not yet represented in one's own network. At the same time, the event is a good opportunity to manifest existing connections between science and research. In case you already maintain good contact with a partner, enter the Challenge 2023 in a joint effort.

Ready for the Challenge?

Our interviewees are already convinced by the funding format and agreed: Given the right topic, they would definitely participate in the InnovationChallenge again. Based in Baden-Württemberg, the funding program brings companies and research groups together and promotes innovative ideas in a "fast-track" format. Join in and register immediately for the new round in 2023!

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