Challenges – A call for pioneers with world-changing ideas.

Under the banner of the SPRIND Challenges visionary teams are selected to work on radically new solutions. The goal: Finding the best solutions to tackle the grand challenges of our time.

Circular Biomanufacturing

New Computing Concepts

Long-Duration Energy Storage

Carbon-to-Value

Broad-Spectrum Antivirals

What are SPRIND Challenges

The challenges are aimed at participants from all over Europe. Through collaborations, you can also involve partners from all over the world. We fund your work and coach each team individually so they can reach their full potential.
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Funken

Every SPRIND Funke can be a small step towards great transformations. Like its big sister SPRIND Challenges, SPRIND Funke is an innovation competition for pioneers with world-changing ideas - but even faster. Funke teams have the opportunity to demonstrate their breakthrough technology quickly.

EUDI WALLET Prototypes

Fully Autonomous Flight

Tissue Engineering

Challenge Magazine

Broad-Spectrum Antivirals
THREE BILLION YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
How CRISPR/Cas13 severs RNA viruses
Broad-Spectrum Antivirals
THE BRIDGE TO THE KISS OF DEATH
How PROTAC-powered antivirals stop virus replication
Broad-Spectrum Antivirals
THE ACHILLES’ HEEL OF VIRUSES
How iGUARD disables viruses
Broad-Spectrum Antivirals
THROWN OUT OF BALANCE
How RNA drugs manipulate viral protein formation
Broad-Spectrum Antivirals
CAPTURED AND ENCAPSULATED
DNA shells attach to viruses for life-saving solution
Broad-Spectrum Antivirals
THE INVISIBLE MASK
MucBoost gives human mucus an evolutionary upgrade
Broad-Spectrum Antivirals
CHALLENGE ON ANTIVIRAL AGENTS ENTERS STAGE 2
In the summer of 2021 SPRIND has called for the first Challenge. In it teams compete in parallel with different solution strategies to find the most promising active substances in the fight against viral diseases in a competition over three years. In October 2022, the jury met for the second time.
Broad-Spectrum Antivirals
FIRST SPRIND CHALLENGE DAYS
On June 27 and 28, the teams of the Challenge "A Quantum Shift for New Antiviral Agents" met in Leipzig. Technical presentations, discussions among each other and with experts ensured an inspired exchange.
Broad-Spectrum Antivirals
NINE TEAMS SELECTED FOR THE FIRST SPRIND CHALLENGE ‘A QUANTUM SHIFT FOR NEW ANTIVIRAL AGENTS’
What are SPRIND Challenges all about? Why is the first SPRIND Challenge so crucial? And which teams will lead the way to a breakthrough in antiviral drug development?
Carbon-to-Value
CARBON-TO-VALUE CHALLENGE WANTS TO TURN BACK CO2-CLOCK
The Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation has selected the participants for the second stage of the Carbon-to-Value Challenge. Each of the three selected teams will receive a further 2,300,000 euros until 30 September 2024. The aim of this Challenge is to achieve a breakthrough in the use of CO2 from the air in new products to make the fight against climate change economically viable.
Carbon-to-Value
CHALLENGE DAYS: CARBON-TO-VALUE AND LONG-DURATION ENERGY STORAGE CHALLENGES
Since the start of their Challenges last year, the teams of the ClimateTech Challenges have been working on developing their ideas. On March 2nd and 3rd, 2023, they now met for their first Challenge Days in Leipzig.
Carbon-to-Value
SPRIND CHALLENGE CARBON-TO-VALUE STARTS WITH FIVE TEAMS
In order to limit the rise of average global temperature to two degrees Celsius, CO2 emissions in particular must be reduced. But that alone will not be enough: In addition, gigantic amounts of CO2 must be removed from the atmosphere again.
Long-Duration Energy Storage
SPRIND CHALLENGE LONG-DURATION ENERGY STORAGE STARTS WITH FIVE TEAMS
In order to achieve a breakthrough in the development of technologies that can store energy efficiently and cost-effectively over a long duration, SPRIND called for this Challenge at the end of July 2022. From a total of 42 applications, the expert jury from science and industry now selected five teams.
New Computing Concepts
CHALLENGE DAYS: THE NEW COMPUTING CONCEPTS CHALLENGE
At the Challenge Days on February 27th and 28th, the teams of our New Computing Concepts Challenge took the opportunity to exchange ideas with experts in this field.
New Computing Concepts
OVERCOMING THE FLASCHENHALS
In order to realize our visions for the future, we need entirely new computing concepts. In a comic essay, Dr. Julia Schneider and Noëlle Kröger address this need - as does SPRIND in its New Computing Concepts Challenge.