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50 young companies from 13 nations have made the finals of the CODE_n 2013 Award, which recognizes the very best innovative business models in the ICT and energy sectors.
All finalists will participate at a group pavilion in Hall 16 at next year’s CeBIT fair from 5 to 9 March. Visitors to the pavilion, which spans 4,000 square meters (43,000 sq. ft), will see a diverse range of innovative solutions to the challenges posed by the global imperative of energy system transformation. The pavilion will be designed by French artist Vincent Tavenne. A total of 250 companies from 35 countries entered the competition. In the coming months, a high-caliber international jury will decide who among the 50 finalists will win top honours in the two CODE_n award categories of best “Startup” and best “Emerging Company.”
“We are thrilled with the incredible diversity and high quality of the entries we received this year,” said Ulrich Dietz, the initiator of the CODE_n Award and Chairman of the Management Board of GFT Technologies AG. “Next year, CODE_n will again showcase 50 exciting young companies with a bright future. Anyone interested in innovative solutions for the enormous challenge of energy system transformation can’t afford to miss our fascinating group presentation in Hall 16 at next year’s CeBIT fair.”
“Transitioning to a sustainable, renewables-based energy future is a global challenge. There’s an urgent need for innovations and creative solutions that will help achieve this ambitious goal. Thanks to initiatives like CODE_n, Germany ranks among the nations that lead the charge in this area,” explained Frank Pörschmann, Deutsche Messe’s Senior Vice President responsible for CeBIT. “We look forward to seeing the many captivating ideas on show at the CODE_n exhibition next year. They are sure to make CeBIT 2013 an unforgettable experience for all attendees.”
Among the 50 finalists who will be coming to Hannover in March next year are companies from Algeria, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, the Ukraine, and the USA.
The finalists’ entries include cloud solutions, a hybrid vehicle that is powered by a combination of human effort (pedals) and solar energy, and a solar-powered kiosk for small-scale entrepreneurs in developing countries who don’t have access to the national power grid. There are also a number of alternative mobility solutions, including innovative car sharing schemes and a highly energy-efficient one-person electric vehicle. “The Internet of Things” will also be well represented at next year’s CODE_n presentation, thanks to a number of participating start-ups who have developed smart home systems that intelligently manage and control heating, lighting and household appliances. The showcase will be rounded off by a range of new community-based solutions that use the Social Web to promote and facilitate sustainable energy use.
“Energy system transformation opens up fantastic opportunities for IT companies,” said Gerhard Müller, a Partner at Ernst & Young. “However, an intelligent IT solution on its own is unlikely to achieve commercial success. To become a reality, it needs to be supported by a compelling and well-thought-out business plan. All of the finalists have successfully combined technological innovation with sound business models – and therefore have a realistic chance of establishing their ideas in the marketplace.”
“The process of selecting the finalists was hugely inspiring, and I am really looking forward to meeting the people behind all these wonderful ideas,” said Ulrich Dietz, a member of the CODE_n 2013 jury. “I think determining the winners will come down to a very close decision,” he added.
Dietz’s fellow jurors are Antonella Battaglini from the Renewables Grid Initiative, Julian von Blücher from Ecosummit, Murat Günak from mia electric, Carsten Knop from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily newspaper, Jens-Uwe Sauer from Seedmatch and Elizabeth Varley from TechHub. The winners will be revealed at a prize-giving ceremony at CeBIT on Thursday 7 March 2013.
The jury will also select the winners of the special prizes – a free crowd funding drive for three German finalists from Seedmatch and an award for the best Windows 8-based solution from Dell.
Next year’s CODE_n presentation will return to Hall 16 at CeBIT, but on a larger scale. As in 2012, a renowned artist has been commissioned to ensure the CODE_n showcase attracts its due share of attention. Next year, Vincent Tavenne will be in charge of designing the 4,000 square-meter group exhibit. Ulrich Dietz on the idea of involving an artist: “CODE_n is all about breaking away from traditional mindsets and presenting a different view of things. And by combining art and technology in the design of our showcase, we are doing just that. We are creating a place of inspiration where creativity and business merge into one.”
