Idea competitionPrice category

In a university environment, researchers regularly push established scientific boundaries. The scientific breakthroughs, which often become patents, make an important contribution to overcoming the most urgent problems of our time. In the category "Science/Tech Innovation", ideas and projects are awarded that

• have emerged from scientific work and solve a concrete problem,
• have or assume a clear application reference,
• have already been published in the form of an invention or patent application or in a publication,
• have a high social impact potential.

As part of the Comprehensive Research University, it is part of Heidelberg's self-image to bring innovations from basic and transformative research from all disciplines as directly as possible into society, to rethink the established and to enable creative approaches to solving complex social problems. Ideas and projects are awarded in the category “social innovation",

• whose motivation is to solve or shed light on a concrete social problem or the concerns of a specific social target group in a new way on a non-profit basis
• which are based on sustainable concepts and pursue the achievement of concrete SDGs in an impact-oriented manner
• that can demonstrate a concrete method or a concrete package of measures or activities as well as a concrete target group
• that are based on their own research and can present concrete ideas for the continuation of the project idea.

For an idea to have an impact on society, good ecological, economic and social business models are needed. A good idea paired with a good business model often leads to the desired social added value. In the category "Business Innovation", ideas are awarded to ideas and projects which

• have the potential to change the world of tomorrow
• solve a specific problem in a new way that has not been thought of before
• have designed an innovative business model that best supports the added value of the idea
• address a specific target group that is large enough to achieve scaling effects