MAidea, organised by Technische Hochschule Mannheim, is the idea competition that provides a platform for creative, sustainable and forward-thinking ideas!
Whether you are a student, professor or member of staff, and whether you are working alone or in a team, MAidea offers you the chance to present your idea, receive feedback and develop it further with the support of experts.
Whatever your idea — be it a technical concept, a social initiative, or a sustainable innovation — MAidea will support you on your journey from initial concept to potential implementation.
 

With informative workshops, a strong network and a total prize fund of €4,000, the competition will help you to turn your ideas into reality and make Mannheim a more innovative place.

Who can participate? 
Anyone affiliated with Technische Hochschule Mannheim can take part, whether you are a student, professor, lecturer or employee at TH Mannheim. 
You can apply either individually or as part of a team.

Why should you take part?
It's worth it! There is prize money totalling €4,000 up for grabs for the implementation of your ideas!
Category ‘Green/Digital Transformation (Twin Transition)’: €1,000
Category 'Institutional Transformation': €1,000
Category 'Social Innovation': €1,000
€1,000 for the ‘Best Overall Concept’.

What ideas can you submit?
From initial ideas to almost finished concepts: MAidea welcomes creative approaches at every stage of development.
The only requirement is that your idea has not yet been established or marketed commercially.

How can you participate?
Download the idea description, complete it and submit it.

The submission period for MAidea has now closed.

• Registration and submission phase:
  From now until 23 December 2025.
• Review of all applications and invitation to the pitch event:
  January–February 2026
• Optional: Pitch training for participating teams
  March 2026:
• Pitch event. Presentation of ideas to the expert jury. 
  This will be an in-person event in room R108. 
  Invitations with dates will be sent out after the applications have been reviewed.
• Final: Award ceremony – presentation of prizes to the winners.
  As part of the evening event of the 2nd Open Lab Day: 16 April 2026.

Please feel free to contact us directly at any time if you have any questions:
transforma@th-mannheim.de

• All students, staff and faculty members at Technische Hochschule Mannheim are eligible to participate.
• You can participate as an individual or as part of a team.
• Ideas must not have won any prizes in other competitions.
• When submitting the idea outline, it must not be commercially exploited or form part of a start-up.
• It must have been developed independently by the participant and must not infringe the rights of third parties.
• Technische Hochschule Mannheim's copyright and legal property rights remain unaffected.
• The organiser accepts no liability for statements made by the judges.
• Participants indemnify the organiser against all claims by third parties arising from infringement of copyright, legal property rights, trade secrets or other rights in the submitted documents.
• Participation implies acceptance of the above conditions.
• The organiser of the ideas competition guarantees that all ideas submitted will be treated confidentially. The organiser will not pass on participants' personal data to unauthorised third parties. Competition participants agree to the presentation of their ideas and press work after prior consultation.
• Legal recourse is excluded. If no entries are eligible for an award, no prize will be awarded.