Nine teams were honored during the “Research to Market Challenge” ideas contest for their research-based business ideas. Two projects received a special prize from Berliner Sparkasse for their ideas on how the coronavirus disease and its consequences can be limited. The ideas contest is regularly organized by the partner institutions of the Berlin University Alliance – Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

There were three competition categories: “Digital & Technologies”, “Life Sciences & Health” and “Cultural & Social”. First prize was awarded to a platform for recruiting information technology personnel, a service for providing neighborhood assistance, and an antiviral spray for protective clothing and surfaces. They each received a prize money award of 1,500 euros.

The winning teams emerged victoriously with their drafts from a total of 51 submitted projects. Students, graduates, PhD students, and research assistants from all departments of the three major Berlin universities and the Charité were invited to participate. The jury assessed the concepts in terms of its degree of innovation, research reference, feasibility and customer benefit. First, second and third place in each category were respectively awarded 1,500, 1,000 and 500 euros in prize money. The prizes were donated by the Ernst-Reuter-Gesellschaft of Freie Universität Berlin, the Humboldt University Association, the die Gesellschaft von Freunden der Technischen Universität Berlin (Society of Friends of Technische Universität Berlin), and Stiftung Charité.