General information

The “Ideenwettbewerb” supports the development of founding ideas and the utilization of research results at the University of Rostock as well as the research area Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and increases their chances of success. Since 2016 local idea competitions are executed at participating universities and colleges in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which are financed with funds of the “Europäische Sozialfonds” from 2023 to 2025. Furthermore, the best submissions from the local competition qualify for the participation on the national competition. The local as well as the national competition are executed only once per year.

The “Zentrum für Entrepreneurship” (ZfE) of the University of Rostock is responsible for the execution of the local competition as well as for the coordination of the national competition. The ZfE emphasizes to integrate the majority of the research institutes in the country into the local competition at the University of Rostock as well as to cooperate with them and to support them with the identification respectively implementation of research and transfer potential.

There will be money-awards for the first three winners in both categories and money-awards in additional certain categories, which are sponsored from various businesses. Despite this, there is a possibility for participants to attend subsequent events to work targeted on their idea respectively on the implementation.

Target group

The “Ideenwettbewerb” is executed in the categories “students” and “researchers and graduates”:

Category I – Students

• enrolled students (m/f/d) at the University of Rostock

• for teams: at least one registered student (m/f/d) at the University of Rostock

Category II – Researchers & Graduates

• research assistants (m/f/d), PhD students (m/f/d), Post Docs (m/f/d) and professors (m/f/d) of the University of Rostock (former members (m/f/d) up to 5 years after their withdrawal)

• graduates (m/f/d) at the University of Rostock whose graduation dates back up to a maximum of 5 years

• members (m/f/d) of the participating research institutes (former members (m/f/d) up to 5 years after their withdrawal)

Procedure and deadlines

The concept provides a two-stage competition:

                Stage 1: local “Ideenwettbewerb” at the participating locations in M-V

                Stage 2: national “Ideenwettbewerb” in M-V

The first step is an online registration of the participants until the 30-04-2024. For this the idea has to be described in a few sentences (max. 500 signs). With this the participation is guaranteed. A registration after the 30-04-2024 is possible in justified exceptions and after prior consultations with the people in charge.

The second step includes the further development of generated ideas:

a)      a possible participation for the originators of the ideas (m/f/d) on the competence promotion program, which includes relevant seminars and workshops that conduce the further development and qualification of the idea

b)      the offer and implementation from individual coaching arrangements for members of the research institutes (m/f/d), even on site

c)      an individual support and intensive consulting for promising ideas and innovative technologies

This offer can be helpful for participants to prepare their refined idea sketches as well as support their own individual development. The refined idea sketch needs to be submitted at the latest on the 07-06-2024 via mail to zfeuni-rostockde. After the inspection of submitted idea sketches, an impartial jury makes a criterion based selection of the best ideas, which allows the selected ones to attend the local competition at the University of Rostock.

The third step takes place on the 25-06-2024: the presentation of the ideas in front of an expert jury, consisting of representatives from economy, science and politics. Subsequently, the public award for the best ideas and the drawn lots for special prizes are carried out.

During the fourth step the best teams from the local competition receive the opportunity to participate on the national competition. For that to happen, they present their ideas on the 18-07-2024 again in front of a top-class jury. On completion, the best ideas are awarded on a grand scale.

The fifth step provides the prize-winning and especially promising inventor (m/f/d) the opportunity to work intensively on their ideas, exchange views with experts and to network during following events.

Participation requirements

• The formal foundation based on the submitted ideas is not allowed before or at the time of the online registration for a competition round.

• The idea has to be developed independently by the participants and must not infringe the rights of third parties.

• Several persons may participate as a team. Ideas can be further developed, for example, in interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary teams.

• The decisions made by the jury and the prize donors are final.

Confidential and data protection

All members of the expert network, the expert network, prize donors and the members of the jury have submitted a written confidentiality agreement to ensure the confidentiality of the information disclosed in the context of the competition. The competition entries, as well as personal data, will be treated confidentially and will not be disclosed to unauthorized third parties.