Innovative Ideas Awarded hei_INNOVATION Ideas Competition 2026: The Winners Are In
May 27, 2026
published by hei_INNOVATION
On 20 May 2026, the winning projects of the hei_INNOVATION Ideas Competition 2026 were announced at the Marsilius-Kolleg of Heidelberg University. The competition provides an opportunity for the university's research and student community to showcase creative, practice-oriented ideas that address societal challenges and hold potential for transfer. Projects were recognised in two thematic categories – Health & Future and Impact Innovation – with three prizes awarded each. An additional audience award was presented.
In the “Health & Future” category, the team of Erik Jung, Helge Gehring, Rasmus Bankwitz and Wolfram Pernice impressed with a connector for light-controlled chips, securing both first place and the audience award. Second place went to Florian Iser, Kendra K. Maaß, Sophia Montigel, Stefan Pfister and Samuel Zabel for an AI-powered dry blood test for early cancer detection in newborns. Third place was awarded to Davide Garzone for a privacy-compliant AI system hosted on secure German servers that extracts medical billing and procedure codes from clinical notes.
In the "Impact Innovation" category, Jonathan Wiarda, Cordula Wiarda and Ingo Wiarda took first place with Ancora, an AI companion for people with advanced dementia, stepping in during times when caregivers and family members are unavailable. Second place went to Emmanuel Bairamis, Susanne Börner, Mattia Celisi and Leonard Metzler for a solution that identifies ancient coins completely and within seconds. Third place was awarded to Renuka Velu for a smartphone app that uses computer vision to guide visually impaired people verbally through staircases and indoor spaces – with no additional hardware required.
Alongside the pitches, the evening featured a varied supporting programme: a panel discussion with former participants and winners of the competition offered insights into journeys taken after the final. Following the award ceremony, the afterparty in the Idea Room provided the perfect opportunity to linger – connecting with finalists and jury members and meeting new faces from across the university.
The hei_INNOVATION Ideas Competition demonstrates once again in 2026 how much creative and scientific potential exists within Heidelberg University. The award-winning projects – spanning medical AI, dementia care and inclusive technology – are promising impulses for shaping society's future, and the evening at the Marsilius-Kolleg showed just how much joy there is in celebrating these ideas together.
