Open Innovation Award

Corporates x Startups

at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026

Independent, evidence-based recognition for outstanding corporate x startup collaboration outcomes.

Award Ceremony at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 in September in Hanover

Open Innovation Award

AN INITIATIVE BY

WHY THIS AWARD

The award the ecosystem deserves

Independent. Evidence-based. Focused on excellence.

  • Recognises real outcomes, not announcements.
  • Selected by an independent jury using transparent criteria.
  • Hosted at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026.
Open Innovation Award

AWARD CATEGORIES

Recognising excellence across four categories

Excellence in corporate-startup-collaboration can take many forms. We are celebrating the leaders across four categories of open innovation procedures in the inaugural edition.

Prototype of the Year

Prototype of the Year

Celebrating the most innovative, one of its kind collaboration between a larger organisation and a startup.

Scaling of the Year

Scaling of the Year

Rewarding successful transition from pilot phase to full-scale real-world deployment.

Program Excellence

Program Excellence

Recognising organisations that have brilliantly integrated Open Innovation processes into their core DNA.

Emerging Excellence

Emerging Excellence

Highlighting outstanding smaller/regional initiatives that are in their early growth but show exceptional promise.

WHY APPLY

What winners gain

Recognition, visibility and proof of impact for collaborations that deliver real outcomes.

Credible recognition

Credible recognition

Visibility amongst industry leaders

Visibility amongst industry leaders

Internal and external proof of impact

Internal & external proof of impact

TIMELINE

From application to Award Ceremony

Key dates and next steps at a glance

Register

10 July 2026

Registration deadline

Shortlist

20 July 2026

Shortlist announcement

Finalist round

Mid August 2026

Finalists announced:
End August 2026

Award ceremony

16 September 2026

IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026
Hanover

JUDGING CRITERIA

What defines a winning entry

Evaluation framework to capture the right evidence

Open Innovation Prototype of the Year
  • Innovation Level
  • Operational Feasibility
  • Synergy Potential
  • Strategic Fit
Open Innovation Scaling of the Year
  • Measurable Impact
  • Replicability
  • Framework Robustness
  • Speed to Market
Open Innovation Progam Excellence
  • Governance & Clarity of Roles
  • Process Efficiency
  • Cultural Integration
  • Ecosystem Reach
  • Resilience
Open Innovation Emerging Excellence
  • Regional Impact
  • Growth Velocity
  • Resource Ingenuity
  • Future Potential

Independent Jury

With 6-8 members from industry, science, research backgrounds with startups, innovation and subject-matter expertise; organised by prototype.club.

Ready to benchmark your work?

Apply now – registration is free
Questions? Contact us at hello@prototype.club

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who can register?

You can recister as a single organisation or as a partner consortium. Entries from any country are welcome.

To be eligible, your entry must meet the following criteria:

  • Real work, not a concept: The initiative is beyond pure idea stage.
  • Open innovation character: The work involves collaboration across orgainsational boundaries, for example corporate-startup, SME-scaleup, platform/association-enabled collaboration, public-private. Organisations faciliating such collaboration are welcome to register.
  • Evidence available: You can provide verifaible proof points if invited to submit. These don’t have to be financial metrics.
  • Relevance: The initiative is relevant to the broader innovation ecosystem
What language must the entries be in?

English language is preferred. German materials can also be accepted.

How much does it cost to participate?

Initial registration is free for all. Potential media packages may follow in later stages.

What team sizes are accepted?

Applications can be submitted by teams of any size – from a small project team to a cross-functional program. What matters is that the entry reflects a real collaboration with clear ownership and a contact person. We recommend naming the core delivery team and key partner contacts if possible.

What happens to the IP of the project?

We understnad that many innovation projects include confidential information. You can register even if your case is not fully public. We may reference the project and partners publicly with your approval. We can keep it to a high-level summary while keeping sensitive details confidential and only sharing with the jury for evaluation. We do not require you to disclose source code, trade secrets or detailed IP documents.

How can I apply with a team?

Register online via the application form. You can mention the names of team members, but they are more than welcome to submit their own registration form with background data. We will match your team registrations.