Graz, 19 June 2024 – As part of the “Start!Up School Life Science” business plan competition, Human.technology Styria (HTS) selected the most innovative business ideas from Styrian students in the areas of “Health & Sustainability” on June 18th. Around 100 young people took part in the Start!Up School Life Science project this year and submitted their business plans, which they had developed over several months. Teachers from FH Joanneum and the University of Graz as well as experts from Next Incubator and Human.technology Styria actively supported the young people in drawing up their business plans and presenting their ideas.
The award ceremony took place in the premises of the Steiermärkische Sparkasse, which has been the competition's prime sponsoring partner for 19 years. The ambitious young people gave their best in their presentations to convince the expert jury of their well-developed business plans. The jury then selected the three winners and also awarded the winners of a special prize for the "most innovative product or service".
Business plans impressed the expert jury
The jury members Dagmar Eigner-Stengg (Start-up Center of the Steiermärkische Sparkasse), Katharina Menzel (Styrian Business Promotion Agency), Johannes Dirnberger (FH Joanneum Industrial Management), Simone Huber (FH Joanneum eHealth), Leopold Strobl (Styrian Chamber of Commerce), Elisabeth Kaufmann (University of Graz), Thomas Wiedner (Next Incubator) and Michael Pichler (Human.technology Styria) were extremely impressed by the diversity of ideas of the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The creativity and feasibility of the business idea as well as the consideration of business management aspects were among the factors taken into account in the evaluation process.
"With the competition, we want to raise awareness that there are many interesting business areas and job profiles in the life sciences industry in Austria and that we are always happy to see bright minds with their innovative business ideas. Human.technology Styria also supports young start-ups on their way to success with its services as part of the Startupmark,” says project manager Michael Pichler from HTS.
Winning teams prevailed with innovative ideas
The Gymformance project team (HTL Weiz) took first place this year with their idea. The students convinced the expert jury with their creation of an app that supports newcomers to the fitness field in correctly performing exercises. The app uses the smartphone camera, analyzes the movement sequences and gives the user real-time feedback during training. This ensures safe, efficient and motivating training.
The second place (sponsored by the Styrian Business Promotion Agency SFG) The "Mindboost" project from HTL Weiz won. The creative young people developed an innovative mental health app that uses playful interaction to identify students with psychological problems, prepare them for external help and enable them to contact counseling centers and psychologists easily. They were awarded EUR 1.500 for this.
The team from “MedUnits” (BULME Deutschlandsberg) was awarded third place and EUR 1.000. The team has set itself the goal of replacing the often still printed therapy plan with a digital, always up-to-date app version. It enables individual therapy plans, tracks progress in real time and optimizes communication between all those involved. Information about the respective spa region and a personalized training plan for at home round off the app's range of services.
The innovation award, which was sponsored by the Industrial Management course at FH Joanneum, was given to the students of the “Skumrulle” group at HTL Kaindorf. Their business idea is a fascia roller with an integrated pressure sensor. Precise and individual exercise adjustments are made via an integrated app in which users can select training plans, adjust the sensor and get tips for the exercises.