Innovative business ideas
As part of the business plan competition "Start!Up-School Life Science", Human.technology Styria (HTS) honored the most innovative business ideas from Styrian schoolchildren in the areas of "Health & Sustainability" on June 30th. Around 130 young people took part in the Start!Up Life Science School project and submitted their business plans, which had been developed over several months. teachers of FH Joanneum and University of Graz and experts from Next Incubator and Human.technology Styria actively supported the young people in developing the business plans and presenting their ideas.
The award ceremony took place on the premises of Styrian savings bank which has been the prime sponsorship partner of the competition for 17 years. The ambitious young people gave their best during the presentations to convince the expert jury of their mature business plans. The jury then selected the three winners and also awarded the winner of the special prize for the "most innovative product or service".
Business plans impressed the expert jury
The jury members Dagmar Eigner-Stengg (Founder Center of the Steiermärkische Sparkasse), Doris Paper (Styrian economic development), Karen Eckhart (Deloitte Styria), Martin Tschandl (FH Joanneum Industrial Management), Leopold Strobl (Chamber of Commerce Styria), Remo Taferner (University of Graz), Matthias Schaffer (Next Incubator) and Michael Pichler (Human.technology Styria) were impressed by the variety of ideas. Among other things, the creativity and feasibility of the business idea as well as the consideration of business aspects were included in the evaluation process.
“The Styrian HTL students are characterized by their entrepreneurial spirit, ambition and initiative. With the competition, we want to raise awareness that there are many interesting business areas in the life sciences industry and that we are always happy to see bright minds. The HTS supports young start-ups on their way to success with its services as part of the Startupmark,” says project manager Michael Pichler.
Band-aids on the chest and handkerchief buddy
The project team BIBO Breath In Breath Out (HTL Kaindorf) took first place this year. The students convinced the expert jury with the presentation of their product, which offers people with mental illnesses such as panic attacks, sleep paralysis and post-traumatic stress disorders the opportunity to recognize attacks early and to alleviate them. The product consists of a sensor that is attached to the chest with a patch and continuously measures breathing activity. Measurement data is sent to an app in real time and evaluated in the background by a specially developed algorithm. You can look forward to EUR 2.500 in prize money for this innovative business idea.
The project won second place Nasal Health Care. The creative youngsters developed a tissue buddy. The Tissue Buddy is a vending machine that provides handkerchiefs free of charge by scanning a QR code and then handing them out.
Companies can use the Tissue-Buddy for regional marketing and publish advertising on the handkerchiefs or the packaging. They were awarded EUR 1.500 for this.
Smart bed mat and side effects app
The Team of "How's Baby" (BULME Graz-Gösting) was awarded third place and EUR 1.000. This product is a bed mat that is placed in the cot and records a child's health values. These are then sent to the associated app to keep the guardians up to date on the health status.
The dedicated team won the special award in the category “Most Innovative Product/Service” this year "MedTrack (HTL Kaindorf). It operates a mobile app and web app for early warning of possible side effects when taking medication and for general support during medication of patients by reminders and the opportunity to video chat with specially trained staff in case of fears and questions turn around. The students received EUR 1.000 for this business idea.
