Are you a researcher who wants to innovate and discover the commercial applications or services from your own research and technology? Join the next edition of the Innovation Competition & win €10.000!
The Innovation Competition (IC) is a training programme organised by Mercator Launch. Do you want to know what it looks like? Check out the video below.
Call for Mercator Launch Innovation Competition & win €10.000
More than 80% of the PhD candidates pursue a career in industry, start their own company or work in the public sector. The Innovation Competition – organised by Mercator Launch – is a training programme designed for researchers who want to innovate and discover the commercial applications or services from their own research and technology.
During the programme, you will gain the following skills:
- Identify the business potential from your own research
- Understand the value creation process in a very early stage
- Think about your sector’s opportunities from different angles (e.g. customer, marketing, business)
- Translate your research outcome into value for industrial partners
- Develop your entrepreneurial skills
After attending the programme, you will submit a pitch deck and present your idea to an independent jury. The best applicant will receive a €10.000 prize to spend on further development of their innovation.
For who is it?
The Innovation Competition is for all PhD candidates and postdocs at Radboud University and Radboud University Medical Center.
Ideally, you are in the final years of research and already have an idea of the potential results or technologies that your research will lead to such as a specific material, process, technology, algorithm, knowledge & know how.
Eligibility Criteria:
- The submitted idea/product is new and not already part of a (planned) project.
- The submitted idea/product is ‘owned’ by the applicant.
- For PhD candidates and postdocs: the PI/group leader is informed about the application.
- The money has to be spent for further development of the innovation and has to be spent before 31 December 2024.
What is the procedure?
- An evaluation committee will be installed with representatives of Radboud Innovation / Valorisation Radboudumc.
- This committee will select the 15 best ideas, who get to hand in their pitchdeck. To prepare the pitch deck, the applicants will be offered an expert training program of 4 days with Hans Westerhof known from EIT Jumpstarter and ClimateLaunchpad.
- The evaluation committee will select 6 finalists, who get to pitch their idea in front of an independent jury and their peers.
- The winner will receive a cash prize of €10.000, business coaching, and a free working space at Mercator Launch for one year. The two runner-ups will receive a cash prize of €5.000
During the Grande Finale the researchers will pitch their business idea to an expert jury. In addition to the main prize of €10.000, a runner-up and public prize of €5.000 each will be awarded as well. This pre-seed capital will allow the researchers to bring their innovation closer to the market and create impact with their research. In doing so, they will receive additional support of Mercator Launch to further succeed their startup.
Curious about the 2023 edition?
Watch the finalists pitch their innovative ideas here. Want to know what the planning was? Check it out below:
Apply for the next edition of the Mercator Launch Innovation Competition
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