InnovationChallenge

With the InnovationChallenge "Sustainable Production and Mobility" a funding program was launched in 2021 and 2023 to connect concrete challenges and research ideas from companies with the expertise and research infrastructure of universities and research institutions.

Key aspects of the InnovationChallenge included:

• Problem statements originating from companies,
• "Solution pitches" by universities,
• "Match-making" between consortium partners, and
• Rapid funding decisions to enable project development to begin promptly, with project durations of up to 18 months.

Which research ideas were funded?

The InnovationCampus Future Mobility sought research ideas that contribute to addressing challenges on the path toward resource-efficient, sustainable mobility solutions and production technologies. The application-oriented research was expected to significantly go beyond the current state of the art in areas such as environmentally friendly technologies, automation solutions, or manufacturing techniques.

Solutions were also considered that demonstrated particular flexibility and resilience in the face of strained supply chains and emerging production crises. The focus was on finding innovative approaches to:

• Increase resource efficiency,
• Reduce environmental impact,
• Ensure process reproducibility and safety,
• Enhance productivity and cost-effectiveness,
• Strengthen resilience (e.g., against supply chain or production crises).