The HZDR Innovation Contest is open to anyone who has an innovative idea on how research results or scientific knowledge could be transferred into usable products or services. Guest scientists and researchers from other institutions such as TU Dresden can participate in teams with HZDR employees.
Take part in the pitch session and support your favorite team with your vote.
Dr. Anne Richter, Mail: anne.richter@hzdr.de
Procedure and Awards – FAQ
There are two contest tracks:
Idea Track:
- for ideas that are still at a very early stage of development and that have not yet been tested for their feasibility in principle. A proof of principle is therefore missing.
Prototype Track:
- for ideas that have already been tested for feasibility and are now to be further developed for specific applications.
How to participate:
- application form: stating your name, motivation and a brief outline of the idea. Send the form to contest@hzdr-academy.de using the form below.
- Participants can apply individually or as a team. If there is only one idea provider, we will provide at least one other person to further refine the idea together with the idea provider. The teams can consist of interested scientists, doctoral students, innovation managers and/or external experts.
- Contest-Workshop: compulsory event in which the idea providers, with the support of mentors, create a commercialisation plan for their ideas and pitch this plan to a panel of experts. In addition to the possible exploitation path (e.g. licence, sale, contract R&D), the pitch also focuses on aspects such as problem solving, market analysis, unique selling points and the team.
- Special for Idea Track: Idea providers for the Idea Track have the opportunity to apply for the Prototype Track the following year. Workshops are organised to prepare participants for the competition in terms of content and methodology.
Idea Track
benefits in kind
Prototype Track
- 1st prize: 1.500 €
- 2nd prize: 1.000 €
- 3rd prize: 500 €
Successful participants in both tracks have the opportunity to apply for funding from the HZDR Innovation Fund for the validation and further development of their ideas. This often involves co-financing for other funding programmes. The team of HZDR innovation managers provides support when applying for further funding.
Dr. Anne Richter, Projektmanager HZDR Innovators School, phone: +49 (0)351 260 – 3851 / anne.richter@hzdr.de
Melanie Giebel, Technology Marketing, phone: +49 (0)351 260 – 2062 / m.giebel@hzdr.de
Sebastian Löbelt-Friedrich, Startup Manager dresden | exists, phone: +49 (0)351 463 31627 / sebastian.friedrich@dresden-exists.de
Dorit Teichmann, Innovationmanager Life Science and Trainer, phone: +49 (0)351 260 – 2800 / d.teichmann@hzdr.de
Participation in the HZDR Innovation Contest is just the beginning. All participating idea providers remain in contact with the innovation managers beyond the competition. Further support from the transfer department includes innovation management, marketing, networking and, of course, transfer qualification.
We also publicise the innovative ideas from the competition both internally and externally. The winners will be honoured by the HZDR Executive Board at the HZDR Transfer Day on 27 January 2026.
The winner teams of the Innovation Contest 2024
Mohd Saif Shaikh, Dr. Shengqiang Zhou and Dr. Yonder Berencén from the Institute for Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Department of Semiconductor Materials
project: Compact optical dual-band sensors based on silicon for telecommunication applications.
Dr. Andréa de Lima Ribeiro and the sensors research group led by Dr. Margret Fuchs at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology
project: HiF Smart sEnsor nEtworK (HiSEEK) for the efficient identification of black plastics.
Dr. Slawomir Prucnal and Dr. Shengqiang Zhou from the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Department of Semiconductor Materials
project: Functionalized photocatalysts as filters for wastewater treatment or application in air conditioning systems.
The winner of the HZDR Innovation Contest 2024
All winner from 2017 – 2024
You also find at our „Wall of Fame“ in the HZDR Transfer Exhibition