Description

Under this challenge, we aim at addressing critical issues such as:

• fast producing and scaling of protective materials/equipment for medical staff and patients;
• remaining safe for front line medical personnel - robots assisted tele-presence of medical staff in intensive care units
• fast production and scaling of FFP2-masks with a good quality
• fast check of the quality of masks
• ways to clean and reuse mouth masks and other disposables
• alternatives to mouth masks and other disposables
• low cost individual protection equipment that is easy to put and remove (ideally just one piece)
• crowd-production of equipment (knowledge acquisition, norms and standards, material available

Description

The nautically trained police secures and regulates the traffic of ships on the Danube. The 14m long service boats currently used for this purpose run - as it is common for boats - on diesel. The SFA wants to contribute to environmental protection and rely on low-emission vehicles or components in the future. So, the question is: How can 10-14 meter service boats become climate-friendly and low-emission for operation on the Danube?

The future belongs to alternative drive systems. In urban traffic as well as in rural regions, it is becoming increasingly important to travel in an environmentally friendly manner. This applies to vehicles that get people from A to B, such as cars and buses. But it also applies to commercial vehicles, from the fire department's tanker to the flatbed vehicle used by the municipal winter road clearance service to garbage trucks. The BMK (Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy Mobility, Innovation and Technology) with its navigation supervisors (SFA) along the Danube wants to bring traffic on waterways into the focus of climate-neutral mobility.

Desired situation 

The BMK's goal is to provide low-emission boats to meet the needs of the marine supervisors, whether by retrofitting or replacing existing boats. Along the way, the BMK wants to test prototypes as quickly as possible. Authority service boats are exempt from the certification guidelines. This may be a key advantage for the risk and time required to develop or test new components. Companies can therefore move more quickly than usual to actual implementation with the marine regulator. 

The immediate goal of this market exploration is to learn about:

• companies that offer or will offer low-emission workboats. 
• companies that can make such boats possible by contributing certain components (e.g. partial solution for propulsion or energy supply). In addition to already conclusive concepts, relevant partial contributions are therefore possible and expressly desired. 

The medium-term goal is, if the result of the Challenge shows technical and economic feasibility, to go on to the development of a corresponding prototype.

The most important features of the boats

The SFA operates seven diesel-powered service boats, approximately 14 meters in length, for ship and plant inspections, assistance in the event of damage, event inspections and for escorting special transports. 

The SFA is looking for: agile and fast boats with a minimum speed of 30 km/h for a minimum operation of 8 hours with at least 2 persons on board. In addition, it is important to have: 

• Drive train redundancy 
• Suitability for creep speed (lapping) 
• Applicability from -30°C to 40°C 
• Robust design that allows berthing to large vessels or the shore 
• Consideration of on-site conditions for refueling and loading 
• Good accessibility of the machine for service work 
• The guideline for a new emission-free service boat or the conversion of existing workboats to emission-free propulsion are the work safety requirements of the ES-TRIN. 

Call for proposals - Details

The online submission (top right button of the challenge page) consists of: 

• Description 

Outline your contribution to a climate-friendly and low-emission service boat (key concept or possible partial performance). 
State whether you are also interested in a stakeholder dialogue with other companies. Name aspects and questions they would like to discuss and contribute there. 

The most essential aspects in a nutshell: Summarize the added value of your contribution to a climate-friendly and low-emission boat in a few bullet points. Bring your unique selling proposition and decisive aspects to the point. Short, concise! 

• Confidential info for the jury

In this text field you can enter information that you would like to share exclusively with the project managers. Among other things, enter a rough price indication here. The jury members involved agree to maintain confidentiality. As an alternative to this form field, it is possible to send a confidential pdf file by e-mail to the moderator of the Challenge. He/she will provide it to the jury only. 

In addition, you need a cover image for the overview page of all submissions. This image is your visual flagship for the overview of submissions to this Challenge. It is of limited use for small-scale content presentations. 

Note: Please provide the necessary information, but do not design a formal proposal like for a tender and do not yet perform any (paid) planning services! 

Important: A joint submission of several companies is possible. Submissions of individual aspects are also permitted (companies can thus find each other and later form a consortium).

The submission deadline is February 27th, 2022.

Please submit your applications here, on the IÖB - Innovationsplattform website.

Benefits of the Challenge and further course of the project

The BMK receives an overview of solution paths and potential partners with the online submissions to this Challenge. The jury of internal experts then invites those companies to individual market discussions whose solutions stand out particularly positively in terms of the evaluation criteria, who already have coherent concepts and offer an immediate implementation perspective. You exchange directly with those responsible for the project. Please keep April 21, 2022 free for your possible Innovation Dialogue market meeting.

Also planned is a stakeholder meeting to bring different companies and the BMK to the same table. The goal is to further sharpen understanding of potentially relevant components, forge alliances for overall concepts, and build momentum for the implementation of fit-for-purpose boats. Please keep May 3, 2022 free for your possible participation in the Innovation Dialogue Stakeholder Meeting.

Note on this IÖB Challenge: Your submission will remain viewable as your business card for other interested parties even after the Challenge has been completed. You are putting yourself in position for further public sector purchasing projects.

Depending on the results, the subsequent project plan includes the following:

Subsequent steps by the shipping authority following the innovation dialog are primarily dependent on the jury's final assessment of the maturity of the proposed solutions, the complexity of implementation, and expected costs and benefits.

If necessary, the aim is to award the contract in accordance with BVerG 2018; the use of the "innovation partnership" award instrument is being considered. Companies that did not take part in the market sounding challenge are also eligible for this.

Your Questions

Contact the moderator or post your question about the Challenge. Our moderators will check, research and publish your question together with the answer. This way, all potential participants are certain to receive relevant information.

How to submit a solution/idea

Go to the challenge page. Click on the button "Lösung einreichen" on the top right side of the page.

• Beschreibung = Post a meaningful description (make references to the description of the challenge and evaluation criteria on the right side of the challenge page)
• Mehrwert = Highlight the benefits of your solution.
• Titelbild = Upload a picture to be displayed on the landing page of the challenge.
• Kooperationspartner = If you are handing in a joint contribution with other companies, this is where you make sure they are represented with logos and names.
• Dateien & Infos = If necessary in addition to the descriptions above: add pdf-files (e.g. existing product brochures). But: Keep your contribution manageable for the jury.
• Vertrauliche Infos = If necessary, place a confidential information for the jury, the sponsor and moderator (e.g. indication of approximate price range). All other parts of the contribution will be public.

Please be aware of the fact, that a challenge is market research / market engagement prior to a possible procurement. The challenge will not decide upon a contract award nor will it lead to any unfair advantage in a tender. Please balance your time and effort.

For more information, please contact:
PPPI Service Center 
Lassallestraße 9B 
A-1020 Vienna 
www.ioeb.at 
www.ioeb-innovationsplattform.at 
PPPI Service Line: +43 1 245 70-817

Description

Since 2018, Merck hosts the Compound Challenge, a competition to identify the best submitted synthetic route for a given small molecule as determined by:

• number of synthesis steps
• obtained yield
• achieved purity
• feasibility of subsequent steps not performed

Anyone from around the world can register for the competition. After the registration deadline, all those registered for the challenge receive the structure of a small molecule and submit their proposed synthesis route within 96 hrs. All the submitted routes are anonymized, and all registered participants are assigned to evaluate part of these anonymized routes in a randomized manner. Based on the participants evaluation, Merck then selects the top 10 best evaluated routes to participate in the synthesis phase of the challenge. The selected routes will be tested in a wet lab and the participants with the best route, as determined by the above criteria, wins a prize of EUR 10,000.

You can submit your registration for the 4th compound challenge here until 30 April 2022.

Prizes

The 1st place winner of the 4th Merck Compound Challenge will earn a 6 month subscription to SYNTHIA at no charge for their entire chemistry department (including 2 special training sessions during this period to support students and faculty with challenging questions they may have).

The 2nd place winner of the 4th Merck Compound Challenge will earn a 3-month free subscription for their research group (not the entire department) with 1 complementary training and support session.

Who can participate?

Anyone from around the world may participate, as an individual or in a team where not prohibited by local or country law. Individuals or teams may choose to opt-out of receiving the prize money if required to do so by their organization. This challenge is not open to Health Care Professionals.

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

Description

Remote Working & Education

Many Europeans are confined to their homes and limited in the exercise of their personal freedoms. As time passes, many more will soon find themselves in the same situation. The way we all are affected by this unprecedented compression of personal freedom changes completely from a person to another: the size of the house where we live in, the infrastructure of our city, the quality of the health service, the sector of employment. How can we keep social bonds strong under this extraordinary pressure?

With these perspectives, the remote working needs to be addressed in a better, controllable and impactful way. For this reason we will need to combine ways and tools for efficiently shifting to online networks/online capacity building and training engines/ virtual connection?

Family life during remote working & education

Under this challenge, we aim at addressing issues related to:

• making a healthy comfortable work environment at home
• lack of meaningful social contacts with peers
• toddlers minding
• preschool children minding

Description

As part of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Programme, the European Innovation Council (EIC) wishes to invite EIC-funded beneficiaries to apply to our joint EIC GHG Co-creation initiative with the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region. To positively enable co-creation opportunities, the EIC aims to promote innovative collaborations to drive progress and achieve mutual goals while developing key partnerships.

Being one of the fastest-growing areas in Europe, Helsinki-Uusimaa is the driving force of Finland's economy. The region has set the objective to be carbon neutral by 2030 supported by the ambitious innovation strategy and R&D expenditure target of 5% of the GDP, as well as an entrepreneurial culture and a detailed action plan based on cross-cutting partnerships for example on sustainable mobility and circular economy. You can find out more about the region’s priorities here. The UN SDGs, ambitious climate targets and sustainable growth are the basis for the region’s research and innovation activities. This is highlighted with the theme of the regional smart specialisation strategy – resource wisdom.

Focused on accelerating a viable green and digital transition in the region, their future development relies on an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem and taking advantage of key business opportunities. In addition, Helsinki-Uusimaa has been selected European Entrepreneurial Region 2021-2022 projecting their green journey by creating an ideal environment for the sustainability-driven new generation of entrepreneurs (more about their challenges below). This co-creation journey with Helsinki-Uusimaa kicks off with an event on 21, 22 & 23 June 2022. Keep reading to find more information about the co-creation process and timeline. 

Tell us why you are the right co-creator and join this collaborative journey. Applications are open here until 29 April 2022. 

Why should you join the EIC GHG Co-creation initiative?  

• Explore how your solutions and capabilities can be sustainable 
• Network and collaborate with Helsinki-Uusimaa Region, and like-minded innovators  
• Build a roadmap of market entry with Helsinki-Uusimaa Region  
• Closely work with partners on solutions that can best fit the market  
• Find potential partners and customers in the industry 
• Get access to experts from the EIC 

Challenges 

Helsinki-Uusimaa Region is interested in innovative technologies that can further cement their journey towards sustainability. More specifically, they are looking for solutions for the following areas: 

Challenge 1 – Dynamic traffic management to reduce air pollution 

Traffic counting is typically done only at certain points around the city and at traffic lights. In addition to the lack of more detailed coverage in the area, the information often lacks detail in terms of types of vehicles, speeds, stoppages etc. At the same time, traffic management and traffic light control can be limited to small areas and green wave sections rather than considering the broader network and especially dynamic changes, local disruptions and events, or priorities based on emissions, weather etc. They are looking for innovative traffic management solutions, which should consider the following aspects: 

• Real-time traffic data production needs new easily scalable and cost-effective methods (as opposed to extensive sensor installations in the infrastructure), including cycling, walking and other modes.
• Traffic management needs dynamic and adaptive tools for adjusting priorities based on emissions, different modes, etc.
• New methods for analysing traffic, taking into account different factors are needed to simulate and recommend measures fitting specific contexts (e.g., low emission zones, soft measures and their impact for modal and behaviour change as well as use of urban space and accessibility of businesses).

Challenge 2 – Heavy Goods Vehicles electric conversion 

Emissions from traffic must be decreased. In the urban context, the share of HGVs and different kinds of utility vehicles in producing local emissions is relatively high. At the national level, there were 9 registered heavy E-vehicles in use in Finland at the beginning of the year 2022. At the same time, there are thousands of registered regular combustion engine heavy road vehicles in use in the country. All major cities in Finland have ambitious CO2 emission reduction programmes. In order to meet CO2 neutral goals, radical changes must be made to present heavy vehicle fleets. The City of Helsinki internal logistics and utility works (STARA) is looking for solutions to: 

• Retrofit existing 2 to 15-years-old vehicles (trucks, lorries), i.e., converting combustion engines to electric. The solutions should consider also further sub-challenges i.e., electric drive replacement, structural issues, charging aspects.

Challenge 3 – Circular economy solutions for recyclable waste

Sub-challenge 3.1 – Efficient and automated municipal waste sorting technologies

Forum Virium Helsinki with Circular Economy related stakeholders are looking for innovative solutions to develop more efficient and automated sorting technologies through AI/robotics/industrial automation. They are looking for scalable technology solutions, that would provide more lean and cost-efficient ways to enable machine-based material identification and efficient recycling/reuse of CEAP-listed materials (textiles, plastics, electronics). The solutions could consider one or more of the following aspects:

• Cutting human workload 
• Identifying different materials to determine how they are recycled/reused (with AI and machine vision etc.)
• Improving routine-based sorting processes (robotics etc.)
• Providing more accessible circular economy guidance to both citizens and companies (service robotics, platforms etc.)
• Improving energy efficiency of production and supply chain processes

Sub-challenge 3.2 – Market place for circular economy

Forum Virium Helsinki with Circular Economy related stakeholders are looking for innovative solutions to create new economic incentives in the “best practices” of circular economy (consumers, private/public sector). Technology solutions could consider:

• Platforms that enable marketplaces or sharing economies for certain materials that lack accessibility and/or have low utilization
• Blockchain-based ecosystems that enable exchange of value and clear incentives to all parties in promoting circular economy  

Sub-challenge 3.3 – Value chain transparency and traceability

Forum Virium Helsinki with Circular Economy related stakeholders are looking for innovative solutions to improve transparency and traceability of material lifecycles throughout value and supply chains using technological solutions e.g., blockchain.

Your co-creation journey 

The EIC GHG Co-creation with Helsinki-Uusimaa Region is an entirely virtual service following the journey below.  

Step 1: Applications and info webinar  

To apply to the EIC GHG Co-creation with Helsinki-Uusimaa Region, you are invited to fill out the application form available here by 29 April 2022.  

During the application process, an info webinar (19 April 2022, from 10:00 to 12:00 CET) will be organised to provide more information about the co-creation initiative, the application requirements, and challenges. If you wish to attend this info webinar, please register here. In addition, you can check the agenda of the info webinar here. 

*Please note that your registration to the info webinar does not imply that you will be selected for the co-creation initiative with Helsinki-Uusimaa Region.  

Step 2: Selection process  

As soon as we close the submission process, your application will be shared with Helsinki-Uusimaa Region. Then, we will proceed with the evaluation and selection of the final list of participants. You will be contacted once the selection process is completed. Also, please note that any feedback or recommendation to the companies that were not selected won't be foreseen. 

Step 3: Co-creation training – 14th & 15th June I Save the date!  

Successful and confirmed participants will be invited to join a co-creation training in which you will be briefed into more detail about the co-creation process and encouraged to undergo pitching training to prepare your pitches for the kick-off. 

Step 4: Co-creation kick-off event – 21st, 22nd & 23rd June | Save the date!  

After the selection process, a two-day ideation event with Helsinki-Uusimaa Region will take place on 22 & 23 June 2022. It will help you better understand the challenges and start co-developing your solutions with the business partner. During this meeting, you will also have the chance to define a clear roadmap with your next steps.   

Step 5: Iteration & development  

You will have four months to implement the roadmap defined with Helsinki-Uusimaa Region and can validate it regularly to ensure you are steering in the right direction. The business facilitators and experts will provide you with the necessary support along the way.    

Step 6: GHG Summit | Autumn 2022 

The GHG Summit will be a way of showcasing success stories developed in close collaboration among business partners and EIC beneficiaries.  

Additional Information 

About the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region

Helsinki-Uusimaa Region is one of the fastest-growing areas in Europe. It is the driving force of Finland's economy, and green and digital transition is considered a key business opportunity shaping the region’s future development. The region has set the ambitious goal to be climate neutral by 2030, to raise research and development expenditure to five per cent of the region’s gross domestic product and to raise the employment rate to 80%.                

The Helsinki-Uusimaa Region has been selected European Entrepreneurial Region 2021-2022. Circular entrepreneurship, green transition and digitalisation are the main themes for this year. The region is praised for creating an ideal environment for the sustainability-driven new generation of entrepreneurs.

Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council is aiming to increase networked collaboration, build synergies and coordinate efforts in circularity to promote circular ecosystem development all throughout the Helsinki-Uusimaa region. The region invites innovators across Europe to join these networks and Helsinki-Uusimaa region as a forerunner in the circular economy, developing sustainable solutions to global challenges and building resilience.

About the EIC Business Acceleration Services     

This opportunity is brought to you by the EIC Business Acceleration Services. To explore other opportunities to connect with the largest corporates in Europe, keep an eye on our events page.       

About the EIC GHG Programme     

With the EIC GHG programme, part of the Business Acceleration Services, the EIC offers its beneficiaries a dedicated GHG tool, the GHG Badges & CO2 Neutral Label initiative, and further resources.  

In addition, co-creation activities with corporates, industrial associations, regions in carbon transition and other EIC beneficiaries are taking place on a regular basis.      

Need help?  

For additional information, please refer to our helpdesk (please choose ‘EIC GHG: Co-creation with Helsinki-Uusimaa Region’ as the subject).   

Description

Under this challenge, we aim at addressing critical issues such as:

• analysis of crisis impact in citizens’ wellbeing, with special focus on mental health and issuing of the clear recommendations.
• dealing with, and supporting lonely vulnerable people such as elderly, mentally fragile people, or people coming from a difficult socio-economic background.
• They do not always have access to Internet, not always have a family or friends they can rely on. What can be done to help, support and reach out to those people?