Saxon Innovation Conference 2023 - all winners

On July 4, 2023, Messe Dresden was transformed into an innovation showcase: the highlight was the award ceremony for the winners of the three Saxon State Prizes for Founding, Transfer and Innovation with Martin Dulig, Saxon Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Labor and Transport, and Marina Heimann, Managing Director of futureSAX GmbH.

SAXON START-UP AWARD 2023: THE AWARD WINNERS

The Saxon Founders' Prize was awarded for the 23rd time in 2023. Out of a total of 74 eligible applications, twelve favorites prevailed before the 90-member jury in the first round of judging.

First place this year went to PowerOn GmbH from Dresden. They developed a sensor skin with which they can give robots "fingertip feeling". This overcomes the barrier between humans and robots by giving them a sense of touch, artificial muscles and bionic reflexes. The first product is the tactile fingertip for robot grippers "TouchDetect". It gives robots a sense of touch, lets them recognize what is being gripped, and is also flexible, stretchable and printable.

The jury was particularly impressed by the award winner's clear, convincing vision, its products for the B2B sector, and its technical solutions that offer a high degree of benefit and innovation and solve current problems in the industry.

Anke Lemke, Head of Communications, Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH

Second place went to Credoxys GmbH from Dresden, Germany, which develops redox technologies for organic electronics and renewable energies. The jury was convinced: "... CREDOXYS enters with a very experienced team and a patent-protected material with improved properties to bring innovation and competition to this market. Display manufacturers should have a great interest in such a second source." (Hannes Schill, Venture Partner, eCapital entrepreneurial Partners AG, Münster - juror of the second scoring round).

Third place is shared by two innovative start-ups: DIVE Imaging Systems GmbH from Dresden and TRIMT GmbH from Radeberg. With a combined hardware and software solution for a new dimension of machine vision, DIVE increases the reliability of semiconductor production while reducing scrap in the process, thus saving costs. The jury was particularly impressed by the innovative combination of specific hardware solution, software and AI, in which they see a business idea with great potential.

TRIMT GmbH uses a biomarker called αvβ6-integrin, which is found in high density on most pancreatic cancer cells, to sensitively localize nodules. The radiopharmaceutical Ga-68-TRIVEHEXIN can detect pancreatic cancers by specifically binding itself to small amounts of this biomarker. It helps surgeons and oncologists optimize their treatment.

The futureSAX audience, which voted in an open online voting process (3,272 votes) for all startup contest participants who did not make it to the nominees, went to "Die vegane Fleischerei" by Henning, Meyer-Götz, Quis & Steiger GbR. Between April and the end of May 2023, a total of 2,372 votes were submitted via the online portal. The "Winners of Hearts", as they are affectionately called, received a high-quality non-cash prize from Novaled GmbH, which repeatedly sponsored the futureSAX audience award.

SAXON TRANSFER AWARD 2023: THE AWARD-BEARERS.

The youngest Saxon State Prize was awarded for the fourth time this year: The Saxon Transfer Prize. Ten nominated transfer projects emerged from the 19 accepted applications after the first round of evaluation by twelve jury members. Due to the withdrawal of one of the applications, there were still nine innovative transfer projects competing for the prizes in the second evaluation round on May 25, 2023.

First place went to Dr. Johannes Notni from the Technical University of Munich, Institute of Pathology. He was nominated by TRIMT GmbH from Radeberg (3rd place in the Saxon Founders Award 2023) as part of the transfer project "Translation and clinical application of cancer integrin-targeted radiopharmaceuticals", from which the start-up emerged. The jury particularly appreciated: "When research excellence of the TU Munich is combined with Saxon entrepreneurial spirit of the Radiopharmaceutical Valley and stock market capital from overseas, exemplary transfer is created. Let us wish TRIMT GmbH in Radeberg that the further clinical trials of the novel radiotracer GA-68-trivehexin for improved diagnosis of pancreatic cancer will be successful." (Dr. Björn Wolf, Head of Department Technology Transfer and Innovation, HZDR - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf - Juror of the Saxon Transfer Award).

The jury awarded second place to Dr. Richard Gloaguen from the Helmholzt-Institut für Ressourcentechnologie Freiberg (HIF) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf. He was nominated by TheiaX GmbH from Freiberg for his work in the transfer project "Sustainable, efficient raw material exploration with AI-supported imaging & mapping methods". Dr. Richard Gloaguen established the Exploration Department at HIF and pioneered new technologies for mineral exploration. He also mentored scientists who moved to the spin-off company TheiaX after completing their doctorates, whose spin-off he initiated and supported.

Third place went to Holger Kunze of the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU for the project "Smoking Willy - High-tech material meets traditional Erzgebirge handicraft", proposed by Original Füchtner - workshop of old folk art in Seiffen. Juror Prof. Dr. h.c.. Uwe Götze, holder of the Chair of Corporate Accounting and Controlling at Chemnitz University of Technology, summarized the jury's decision: "The integration of shape memory alloys in products of the Erzgebirge arts and crafts represents a prime example of the successful transfer of research results to fields of application that initially seem far away. With this transfer project, Holger Kunze has opened up new design possibilities for craftsmen in the form of object characteristics that change under the influence of heat and new market potential in a short time."

The special prize for technology innovators was awarded to Christian Christesen, Innovation Manager for Resource Technologies in the Technology Transfer and Innovation Staff Department of the HZDR - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and founding innovator and managing director of TheiaX GmbH. The jury was impressed by Christian Christesen's initiative in the goal-oriented and business-oriented spin-off of TheiaX GmbH, as he recognized the potential of the innovation early on and essentially helped to prepare the application for funding.

SAXON INNOVATION AWARD 2023: THE AWARD WINNERS

For the 22nd time, the Free State of Saxony honors the innovative spirit of established entrepreneurs with the Saxon Innovation Award. From 38 eligible applications, 100 honorary jurors selected eleven nominees after one application was withdrawn after the first round of judging. The three relevant criteria were again: degree of innovation, entrepreneurial commitment and economic success of the innovation.

First place went to NOVUM engineerING GmbH from Dresden. With the help of AI, they determine the state of charge, the current capacity and the expected service life of batteries in a matter of seconds. This means they can be used for longer and reused several times - innovative and sustainable. Manuela Harken, Head of the Economics Department at the Sächsische Aufbaubank - Förderbank - and jury member of the second round of judging: "[...] In a matter of seconds, AI-supported innovation makes it possible to give batteries several life cycles. In addition to the economic effects for the battery-using companies, this innovation makes an important contribution to environmental protection."

Anvajo GmbH from Dresden came in second place. They combine a miniaturized spectrometer with a digital microscope to enable point-of-need diagnostics in a variety of industries. Target samples include blood, urine, semen and water. Pre-analytics is supported by a system of special sample carriers that process and provide the fluid to be analyzed. The jury was particularly impressed by the potential for broad application and the possible positive social impact.

Third place was shared by two innovative companies: eccenca GmbH from Leipzig and MSG Lithoglas GmbH from Dresden. eccenca GmbH masters the challenge of a distributed and complex physical infrastructure in real time for mobile networks with the help of its digital software supply chain. Through automation, significant energy saving potentials with up to 25% reduction are possible.

MSG Lithoglas GmbH offers disinfection of viruses and bacteria by means of a unique, efficient UVC light module, which by means of integrated micro mirrors allows a highly efficient light output for use in the disinfection of water, air and surfaces.

The special prize of the Saxon Chambers of Crafts went to the manufactory Werner Chr. Schmidt - Mundstück- & Metall-Blasinstrumentenbau for its lead- and nickel-free trumpet. With this world first, the traditional company from Markneukirchen responds to current challenges, such as the lead and nickel ban from the European REACH regulation. This spirit of innovation in craftsmanship convinced the jury: "[...] With years of the greatest entrepreneurial commitment and motivation, new craft manufacturing processes and materials were tested and perfected. The result is the "la rossa" as an absolute world novelty, which is also completely convincing in design and sound. An innovation that is rightly awarded the special prize!" (Dr. Christian R. Welzbacher, Director of the Heinz Piest Institute for Craft Techniques at the Leibnitz University of Hanover - juror of the second round of judging).