Young people looking at slips of paper on a glass wall

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On 2 and 3 July, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy will host a pitch event for entrepreneurial ideas in the field of digitalisation. It will set the stage for the launch of the first pilot-funded projects from the Innovation Programme for Business Models and Pioneering Solutions (IGP).

Economic Affairs Minister Peter Altmaier said: “Digitalisation and innovation are the foundation of a forward-looking German economy. By funding the best ideas from the pitches that are about to start off, we want to keep giving fresh impetus to digitalisation so that ideas can turn into pioneering solutions and business models.”

On 2 and 3 July, around 60 digital pioneers will present their ideas for projects to the members of the IGP jury in live online sessions. Grades will be awarded to complement the assessment of written applications, setting the stage for the launch of the first IGP projects this summer. The pitches are a milestone on the road towards the successful conclusion of the first IGP call for projects, which is targeted at digital and data-driven business models and pioneering solutions. With a large number of further applications to be assessed within the framework of other pitch formats, the first call for projects will eventually make it possible to approve around 100 projects for funding.

The IGP expands the focus of innovation policy beyond technology research and development to include non-technical areas such as the development of business models or the application of new technologies, e.g. innovative apps or groundbreaking platform concepts. Recently, the second IGP call for projects, targeted at innovations within the cultural and creative industries, was launched. A third call scheduled for the autumn will focus on innovations relating to education and access to information that is relevant in terms of its social impact.