128 applications submitted for IQ Innovation Award Central Germany
A total of 128 innovations were received for the 19th IQ Innovation Award Central Germany, 24 more than in the previous year. Most of the applications for the cluster innovation competition of the European Metropolitan Region of Central Germany came from Saxony-Anhalt and from the field of information technology.
“We are very pleased about the great interest in the IQ competition. In view of the numbers, we expect to see some outstanding innovations among the 128 entries in this competition year as well, which will advance Central Germany in the future,” explains IQ project manager Hanka Fischer from the European Metropolitan Region of Central Germany.
Most applications for the 19th IQ Innovation Award Central Germany were received in the information technology cluster (48). The Energy/Environment/Solar Economy and Life Sciences clusters follow in second and third place with 28 and 23 submitted innovations, respectively. The Chemicals/Plastics and Automotive clusters received 15 and 14 innovations, respectively.
With 52 applications, most of the innovations submitted this year came from Saxony-Anhalt, followed by Saxony (50) and Thuringia (15). For the three local IQ competitions Magdeburg, Leipzig and Halle (Saale), 21, 14 and 11 innovations were submitted respectively. 11 applications were received from the rest of Germany.
More than half of the submitted innovations (70) pursue a completely new technological approach, while 58 submissions involve the further development of an existing product or process. Eighty-two percent of the entries for the 19th IQ Innovation Award Central Germany were submitted by companies, especially startups. Five percent of the innovations came from private individuals, four percent from scientific collaborators. The remaining nine percent were distributed among employees, students, doctoral candidates, faculty/lecturers and employees at colleges/universities.
In addition, almost all applicants agreed to pitch to the recently founded network BAM! – Business Angels Mitteldeutschland. As part of the project, the European Metropolitan Region of Central Germany and its partners offer business angels from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia an informal, uncomplicated and trustworthy networking platform to promote the deal flow between startups from the environment of the IQ Innovation Award Central Germany and private investors.
The winners of the 19th IQ Innovation Award Central Germany will be determined in the coming weeks in a multi-stage jury process and announced at a festive awards ceremony on June 22, 2023.
This year’s cluster innovation competition is endowed with prize money of around 70,000 euros, made possible by the commitment of numerous sponsors. The Automotive cluster prize is sponsored by the Automotive Cluster East Germany (ACOD GmbH) in cooperation with Porsche Leipzig GmbH. In the Chemistry/Plastics Cluster, the prize is jointly supported by the Association of the Chemical Industry – Northeast Regional Association and, for the first time, Iqony-Raffinerie-Kraftwerk-Sachsen-Anhalt GmbH. Together with Siemens AG, envia Mitteldeutsche Energie AG is committed to innovations from the energy/environment/solar industry cluster. GISA GmbH, together with envia TEL GmbH, awards the cluster prize for information technology. The life sciences cluster prize is sponsored by IDT Biologika GmbH. The cluster prizes are endowed with 7,500 euros each. The city prizes in Halle (Saale), Leipzig and Magdeburg are each endowed with 5,000 euros in prize money. The overall winner receives the prize money of 15,000 euros donated by the Halle-Dessau Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the East Thuringia Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Gera and the Leipzig Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
In the category Supporters, TotalEnergies Raffinerie Mitteldeutschland GmbH is particularly committed. The competition is also supported by Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, Mazars Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, Cluster Informationstechnologie Mitteldeutschland, SAB Sächsische Aufbaubank – Förderbank and IBG Beteiligungsgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH.
With the IQ Innovation Award Central Germany, the European Metropolitan Region Central Germany promotes novel, marketable products, processes and services to increase innovation and competitiveness of the region’s economy.
In the European Metropolitan Region of Central Germany, structure-determining companies, cities and districts, chambers and associations as well as universities and research institutions from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia are committed to the common goal of sustainable development and marketing of the economic, scientific and cultural region of Central Germany.
Further information:
Webseite IQ IQ Innovation Award Central Germany
Webseite BAM! – Business Angels Mitteldeutschland