Awards 2024

From concept to prize

Co-develop, validate, and compete for a portion of 40.000€! The teams that develop the most promising and impactful solutions addressing the program’s challenges have the opportunity to share in 40.000€ in cash prizes.

IFS 2024 Schedule​

The competition commences on April 25, 2024, featuring an informational session during the esteemed Technology Forum conference.
Simultaneously, the open call for submissions begins on the same date (April 25, 2024), with the application deadline set for June 10, 2024.
From June 2024 to October 2024, participants including startups, spinoffs, researchers, tech companies, and other entities will engage in collaborative efforts with challenge owners, coaches, and organizers. Together, they will endeavor to develop solutions with exceptional industry impact, global scalability, and societal relevance.

The awards

IFS Innovation Excellence Award – €20.000

The Innovation Excellence Award recognizes the solution that demonstrates exceptional innovation and impact across all criteria. This award celebrates the team’s outstanding achievement in developing a solution that addresses the specific challenge and exhibits compatibility, scalability, ambition, and quality.

 

IFS Innovation Achievement Award – €10.000

The Innovation Achievement Award acknowledges the solution that showcases commendable innovation and impact, exhibiting strong performance across all criteria. This award honors the team’s dedication and effort in creating a solution that demonstrates compatibility, scalability, ambition, and quality.

 

IFS Innovation Recognition Award – €5.000

The Innovation Recognition Award celebrates the solution that demonstrates promise and potential in innovation, exhibiting notable performance across all criteria. This award acknowledges the team’s creativity and vision in developing a solution that shows compatibility, scalability, ambition, and quality.

 

Keep Going Award – €5.000, Sponsored by Alumil SA

The ”Keep Going” Innovation Award aims to recognize and reward teams that, despite being in the early stages, demonstrate remarkable potential and resilience in their pursuit of innovation. This prize celebrates teams that exhibit promising values in innovation, scalability, compatibility, impact, ambition, and quality.

 

Additional Prize

Τhe winning teams will have the opportunity to qualify directly to Phase II of the 15th National Bank Innovation & Technology Competition.

IFS Awards 2024

The Winners

IFS Awards 2024 ceremony

First Prize

€20,000

Innovation Excellence Award

Solution

RoboProx

The proposed solution automated an assembly line by recording all necessary movements and inputting them into software that controls a robot. This robot successfully performed all required tasks, enabling the team to develop an original and innovative solution for the Olympia Electronics Challenge. They won first prize, which amounted to €20,000. The team is composed of members from the Institute of Informatics (ITI) at CERTH, located in Thessaloniki. The impact of this solution is expected to be significant for the future of work in the industrial and manufacturing sectors, as it will allow the company to achieve higher productivity levels while also enhancing the safety of its workforce.

Second Prize

€10,000

Innovation Achievement Award

Solution

Foulstop

The LPRE team of the Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI) of CERTH won the 2nd IFS Award of €10,000, with the FOULSTOP Solution related to the Challenge of DIOPAS S.A. During the Competition, the team analyzed samples of materials used for nets in aquaculture and created a new anti-fouling formula that facilitates the reduction of pollutants in nets. Beyond protecting the marine ecosystem, the Solution is a good practice and contributes to the shift towards new friendly fishing methods necessary for a sustainable development model.

Third Prize

€5,000

Innovation Recognition Award

Solution

EcoGazer

The third IFS prize, worth €5,000, was awarded to EcoGazer, a solution developed by the AUTH spin-off company Exanta for its innovative energy-saving software. Specifically, the team responded to the SIEMENS Challenge by creating a user-friendly application designed to inform building occupants about their temperature and energy usage data. This enables users to make more informed decisions and use their home appliances more efficiently, ultimately optimizing their energy consumption. With a focus on energy transition and sustainability, this solution emphasizes the impact of our everyday choices while educating the public about environmentally friendly options in an engaging and amusing manner.

KG Prize

€5,000

Keep Going Award · Sponsored by ALUMIL

Solution

IDEAZ

IDEAZ is an energy optimization solution designed for the ISOMAT S.A. plant, addressing the company’s challenge. The AUTH team developed a mathematical model utilizing artificial intelligence to identify the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective energy source at any given moment, thereby reducing ISOMAT’s carbon emissions. This solution promotes eco-friendly practices within the industry while providing the business with insights into its economic and environmental impacts, aiding in more informed decision-making. IDEAZ has been awarded with the “Keep Going Award” of €5,000, sponsored by ALUMIL. Additionally, it has been selected to advance directly to the second phase of the NBG Seeds Entrepreneurship Support Program, thus creating a new business.