German semifinal of Henkel Innovation Challenge crowns a winner
Team “#yellowINNO” won the Henkel jury over at German semifinal of the Henkel Innovation Challenge (HIC) on February 20, in Düsseldorf. Huyen Diep und Duc Van Ngo of the EBS University for Business and Law in Oestrich-Winkel are set to compete against winning teams from 27 other participating countries at the HIC international final, to be held in Vienna in the beginning of April.
Stephan Füsti-Molnár (second from left), LEG, General Manager Laundry & Home Care for Germany and Switzerland, with the winners and their mentor (right).
Stephan Füsti-Molnár (second from left), LEG, General Manager Laundry & Home Care for Germany and Switzerland, with the winners and their mentor (right).
At last Friday’s final, the top ten teams from Germany presented their innovative ideas for year 2050. Tasked with designing and presenting an innovative product or technology for one of Henkel’s three business units: Laundry & Home Care, Beauty Care, and Adhesive Technologies, the teams were each assigned a Henkel manager as a mentor, who offered guidance and helped them prepare for the presentation. The winning team agreed, “Our mentor perfectly prepared us. She asked the right questions to help us further develop our concept.”
The semifinalists’ concepts displayed tremendous ingenuity, from nano-sized cleaning robots to sunscreen that converts sunlight into an energy source, from window-washing drones to clever guerilla marketing. Dr. Lena Christiaans, Head of Corporate Employer Branding at Henkel was impressed, saying, “We are time and again blown away by the tremendous engagement and enthusiasm with which students present their concepts. They combine creativity with business savvy – just like professional business development managers,” said Dr. Lena Christiaans, Head of Corporate Employer Branding at Henkel.
The innovative concepts offer sustainable solutions for the big challenges of the future, like water scarcity, urbanization, and electrosmog. This year’s winners did so in exemplary fashion with their product idea “INNOWA”. A biologically degradable cube for use in toilets, INNOWA not only provides a fresh smell and hygienic sanitation, but also eliminates the need for flushing, saving water.
The two winners are excited to be advancing to the final and eager for what awaits them. “It’s a great feeling to win. With such tough competition we hadn’t counted on it,” said Huyen Diep of team #yellowINNO.
From April 8 to 10, team #yellowINNO will represent Germany at the international final in Vienna to compete for the first prize “Around the World Ticket” with a value of 10,000 Euros. The second and third place teams will receive a respective 4,000 and 2,000 Euros. The top three teams will also have the chance to meet and chat with Henkel CEO Kasper Rorsted.
Curious about the Henkel Innovation Challenge?
Find out more at: www.henkelchallenge.com/index.php or on Facebook or Twitter at: www.facebook.com/HenkelChallenge or twitter.com/henkelchallenge
