Displaying Futures Award seeks for Smart Medical Ideas

• Call for proposal targets smart medical device ideas that leverage digitalization technology to change future healthcare.
• Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany offers a grant of up to US$50,000 and 350 years of successful entrepreneurial experience to the winning teams. 

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, debuted its third Displaying Futures Award today. This year the award focuses on smart medical devices, calling for proposals on innovations in the areas of wearables, electronics implants and beyond. The top ten teams out of the global applications will be invited to the company’s headquarter in Darmstadt, Germany. Three winning teams will be chosen and granted up to US$50,000 each. On top of that, in a course of twelve months, they will be receiving mentorship from experts, access to the company’s global resources and network, and realizing their ideas with prototype building. 

Dieter Schroth, initiator of the award and Senior Director of Marketing & Sales at Display Solutions business unit, said, “The aim of 2018 Displaying Futures Award is to seek for cross sector smart ideas that leverage new technologies, such as digitalization, to bring changes in future healthcare. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is one of the unique companies in the world that holds leadership in technology solutions, healthcare and life science areas, and has 350 years of successful entrepreneurial experience to offer. We are in search of innovative minds and start-ups that need our expertise to realize their concepts.”

The Displaying Futures Award application period starts from February 5 and closes on April 15. A jury of experts from the company will select up to ten teams and ideas on the basis of innovativeness, business potential and social impact. The selected teams will be invited to a boot camp and pitch day on June 4-6, where finally up to three winners will be selected. Details on the award and application can be found here: www.emdgroup.com/df-award.

As part of its innovation strategy, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany focuses on international exchanges with young entrepreneurs who are working on future-oriented business ideas. In parallel to the Displaying Futures Award, the company has been collaborating intensively with start-ups and universities for years and also conducts, for example, the Accelerator program, hackathons and invests in start-up companies via corporate venturing.