Univentum Labs, a special-purpose vehicle of the University of Gdańsk, in cooperation with the University of Gdańsk Technology Transfer Office, announces the fifth edition of the Univentum Labs Ideas - Young Fahrenheit competition. It is addressed to young employees, doctoral students and students of the University whose research has commercialisation potential. Applications are open until 20 December 2025.
Aim of the competition
The aim of the competition is both to promote interesting research conducted at our university and to identify individuals and teams carrying out R&D work with market potential. The initiative is aimed at young employees, doctoral students and final-year master's students, regardless of their field of study. The organisers do not expect full business plans to be prepared – they are primarily interested in presenting research that the authors consider to have commercial potential, i.e. that could serve as a basis for creating their own company (e.g. a spin-off) or granting a licence.
‘As part of our educational activities and support for young scientists' entrepreneurship, we want to recognise the first effects of the development of entrepreneurial attitudes,’ says the president of Univentum Labs, dr hab. Sylwia Mrozowska, prof. UG. ‘We want to open the door to the world of business for as many young, talented people as possible. Our competition gives them a great opportunity to showcase their skills and commercialise innovative ideas. In order to recognise those representing the humanities and social sciences, we have also decided to fund a special award for the most interesting project in these fields of science.’
New Category - best project in the field of social sciences or humanities
A new feature of this year's edition is a special financial award for the best project in the field of social sciences or humanities. The awarding of the special prize does not exclude the possibility of the same participant receiving one of the main prizes.
Stages of the Competition
The competition consists of two stages. The first stage lasts until 20 December 2025. During this period, participants must complete the application form, briefly describe their research and indicate its commercialisation potential. In the second stage, the most interesting ideas will be selected for a short presentation and an interview with the members of the competition jury. During the evaluation of projects, both in the first and second stages, criteria such as the following will be taken into account:
- innovation and originality,
- quality of the achievement presented,
- commercial and scientific potential of the project,
- carefulness of preparation.
In the second stage, the ability to answer questions from the competition jury members will also be evaluated.
The winners of the competition will be selected by the end of the winter semester.
Prizes
- 1st place: PLN 10,000
- 2nd place: PLN 3,000
- 3rd place: PLN 1,000
- Special prize for the best project in the field of social sciences or humanities: PLN 2,000
The prizes in the Young Fahrenheit Competition are funded by Polenergia S.A. Polenergia is the largest Polish private energy group, consisting of vertically integrated companies operating in the field of energy generation from renewable and low-emission sources, as well as electricity distribution and trading. Polenergia's strategic project is the construction of wind farms in the Baltic Sea with a total capacity of up to 3,000 MW in cooperation with the Norwegian company Equinor.
#GoodEnergyFromPolenergia
Your research can change the world!
‘We are delighted that we have managed to encourage Polenergia to cooperate in the competition. The company recognised the importance and potential of the projects and decided to finance the main prizes,’ notes dr hab. Sylwia Mrozowska, prof. UG.
‘We are extremely proud of the talents we are discovering thanks to the Young Fahrenheit competition,’ emphasises dr Andrzej Poszewiecki, Vice-President of Univentum Labs. ‘Previous editions have shown us that the University of Gdańsk is full of young scientists with innovative ideas that have the potential to change the world. From research into new methods of wound treatment, through the creation of software using machine learning algorithms, to the design of organic compounds with unique properties, our university is a true laboratory of innovation.’
Univentum Labs, a special-purpose vehicle of the University of Gdańsk, has been successfully supporting the transfer of knowledge from the university to the economy since 2014. Thanks to close cooperation with the UG Technology Transfer Centre, the company offers scientists comprehensive support in the commercialisation of research and the creation of innovative spin-off companies. With its extensive database of scientists, modern laboratory infrastructure and convenient location in the largest business centre in Pomerania, the Olivia Centre, in the vicinity of the University of Gdańsk, Univentum Labs provides the ideal environment for the development of innovative projects.
More information about the competition, including rules and regulations, can be found at: konkurs.univentum.pl