Petersen Innovation Transfer Award

The Petersen Innovation Transfer Award honors outstanding products, processes, and services every three years that have been developed in close cooperation between educational institutions in Schleswig-Holstein and small or medium-sized enterprises. With a main prize of €20,000 and five follow-up prizes of €5,000 each, it is one of the highest endowed awards for technology transfer in Germany. The aim of the award is to bring innovative ideas to market maturity, strengthen knowledge transfer between science and industry, and sustainably promote the region’s competitiveness. Projects from the fields of research & innovation and science that demonstrate functional benefits for users and have already been tested for practical applicability are eligible for recognition. Submissions must be made as a ZIP file including the application and signature forms as well as meaningful supplementary media by March 15, 2026 (deadline). Subsequently, an independent evaluation by an award committee will commence.

Only joint applications from a university or research institution in Schleswig-Holstein together with an SME are eligible to participate. Each company may submit only one application jointly with an institute. The jury’s decision is based on the degree of innovation, functional benefit, marketability, and practical applicability of the submitted solutions. A detailed description of the use case as well as proof of joint development are mandatory components of the application. Submitting teams can use the project start from July 2026 to further advance their innovation and benefit from public recognition as well as networking within the regional innovation network.