Description

In 2022, Merck hosts the Ferroelectric Nematics Challenge, an application competition to identify the best potential applications of ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals: by technical approach and business impact. 

This challenge contains two stages. Sign up by 30 April 2022 with your idea for an application of ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals and how you propose to demonstrate your technical approach. We then offer a free developer kit to the most interesting submissions (up to ten) for you to run your experiments. Your solution with initial results are then submitted by 30 August 2022 and you will be invited to present your solution to Merck. Merck will then score all submissions according to the judging criteria: business potential, technical attractiveness, team strength and strategic fit. 

The teams who submit the best solution with the best performance in the judging criteria subject to the terms and conditions of the registration wins a prize of EUR 10,000, with EUR 5,000, and EUR 3,000 for second and third place.

Merck is looking for identifying partners for this topic and participation may result in future cooperation.

You can submit your registration for the Ferroelectric Nematics Challenge here until 30 April 2022.

What's in it for you?

Merck will award up to EUR 10,000 to the winning teams who submitted the best application of the provided materials based on the judging criteria of business potential, technical attractiveness, team strength and strategic fit. Furthermore, selected teams will have the chance to gain access to potential collaborations within Merck which include access to enabling resources and contacts.

Who can participate?

Anyone meeting the eligibility criteria of the terms and conditions of the registration. Registration is open to individuals or teams from around the world. This competition is not open to Health Care Professionals nor may participants be employed with a Health Care Organization. 

To know more about the challenge and how the application and selection process work, please visit the official page of the Merck Ferroelectric Nematics Application Challenge.