University research in German-speaking countries is a rich source of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. So many new ideas are born in college lecture theatres, seminar rooms and laboratories. That’s why more and more universities are developing incubators in which research findings and innovative thinking are translated into start-ups. Here, ingenious ideas can be paired with marketing know-how and expertise in scaling up and finding backers. Innovations and a start-up culture are key to the success of our economy, with the ability to rapidly turn ideas into businesses set to play a crucial role in securing our economic future. After all, start-ups are SMEs in the making – and thus fundamental to continued economic growth.

For Handelsblatt and Goethe University Frankfurt, the award’s initiators, the University Innovation Challenge (UIC) is an opportunity to celebrate pioneering solutions and thus showcase innovative ideas for tomorrow.

The University Innovation Challenge celebrates innovative university research projects and start-ups from Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH region). There are six different categories of product, service or business model, the entry requirements in each case being that the idea has to either still be at the university research stage or have been developed by a start-up with a university background.

The winners of the first University Innovation Challenge were crowned on 13 November in Frankfurt am Main. You can learn more about the winning innovations here.

To find out more about the winners of the 2018 University Innovation Challenge, simply follow this link.