Vote now for the Audience Award of the Ideas Competition 2024
2 May 2024
published by hei_INNOVATION
IMPACT DAY 2024 will take place on May 15th at the University of Heidelberg, where, among other things, the winners of the hei_INNOVATION ideas competition will be honored. This year, voting for the audience award will take place in advance of IMPACT DAY. Anyone interested is invited to look at the top ten ideas and cast their vote. The audience award will also be presented as part of the IMPACT DAY and voting is still possible until May 14th, 2024.
Once a year, the hei_INNOVATION Ideas Competition offers members of Heidelberg University the opportunity to submit and advance their own innovative ideas and research results with potential for exploitation or change. The focus is on the idea's potential to generate impact and contribute to solutions to the economic, ecological and social challenges of our time. From the numerous ideas submitted, the transfer agency hei_INNOVATION has already selected the top 10 ideas that show particularly high potential for impact. These ideas are now up for voting as part of the audience award.
Top 10 ideas
One of the ten best ideas is a public philosophy initiative that promotes practicing with the goal of reasoning. An interactive online game designed to increase the willingness to recognise misconduct was also selected. Another finalist idea is a photonic integrated circuit that enables advances in the scalability and efficiency of neutral atom quantum computers. A platform for collaborative “time-to-event” predictions and sharing of clinical data has also reached the final, as has the idea for artificial neural networks made of silicon carbide as a crucial building block for the production of green hydrogen.
The idea of using psilcocin prodrugs to treat depression and other mental illnesses was also successful, as well as a debate ecosystem to better deal with conflict, marginalisation, social division, and difficult decision-making. The top 10 are complemented by an AI-based app, that analyses pest in viticulture, a ground-breaking platform that uses artificial intelligence to analyse complex arguments and a universal climate policy and discourse monitor supported by natural language processing.
Award ceremony at the IMPACT DAY
The audience award ceremony will take place during the evening programme at IMAPCT DAY 2024. As part of the IMPACT DAY, the top 10 idea providers will also pitch their ideas to a jury of external experts. The presentation of the best three ideas from this selection process and this award ceremony will take place with the presentation of the Audience Award.
In addition to the evening event, which will also feature an interview with entrepreneur, author and investor Tijen Onaran and the Vice-Rector for Innovation and Transfer Prof. Dr. Katja Patzel-Mattern, IMPACT DAY will offer further programme items, such as transfer islands with interesting and innovative projects from Heidelberg University, and numerous workshops on the topic of innovation and transfer. Food trucks will be providing IMPACT DAY visitors with culinary delights on University Square from 12 noon.