EPO Innovation Contest - a competition for university students

Open to students of all disciplines who are at least 18 years old, enrolled at a university, college or equivalent academic institution in one of the European Patent Organisation's member states.

Contestants will be asked to define a research project of potential interest for future R&D. Their project paper should include:

• a description of a technical problem currently faced in one of the following five fields:
  A. Sustainable food production
  B. Eco-friendly energy production and storage
  C. Waste management, recycling and urban mining
  D. Smart transport and traffic management systems
  E. Smart house technology
• a presentation of the current state of the art in the problem area
• a general account of the market potential for the suggested solution to the chosen technical problem

A dedicated distance learning programme will provide contestants with guidance on how to develop their initial idea. The working language of this programme and accompanying online mentoring will be English, but final papers can be submitted in English, French or German.

National IP offices had been responsible for selecting the contestants from their respective country. Registration for the distance learning programme was completed by 15 March 2013 and 64 teams / contestants were nominated.

The deadline for submission of final papers is 13 July 2013.

For more details, see the "Rules of Participation" (PDF, 140 KB) and the flyer (PDF, 160 KB).