Prototype of the Year
Celebrating the most innovative, one of its kind collaboration between a larger organisation and a startup.
Open Innovation Award
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
AN INITIATIVE BY
WHY THIS AWARD
Independent. Evidence-based. Focused on excellence.
AWARD 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.
Celebrating the most innovative, one of its kind collaboration between a larger organisation and a startup.
Rewarding successful transition from pilot phase to full-scale real-world deployment.
Recognising organisations that have brilliantly integrated Open Innovation processes into their core DNA.
Highlighting outstanding smaller/regional initiatives that are in their early growth but show exceptional promise.
WHY APPLY
Recognition, visibility and proof of impact for collaborations that deliver real outcomes.
TIMELINE
Key dates and next steps at a glance
10 July 2026
Registration deadline
20 July 2026
Shortlist announcement
Mid August 2026
Finalists announced:
End August 2026
16 September 2026
IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026
Hanover
JUDGING CRITERIA
Evaluation framework to capture the right evidence
With 6-8 members from industry, science, research backgrounds with startups, innovation and subject-matter expertise; organised by prototype.club.
Apply now – registration is free
Questions? Contact us at hello@prototype.club
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:
English language is preferred. German materials can also be accepted.
Initial registration is free for all. Potential media packages may follow in later stages.
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.
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.
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.