The Journey is the Reward

Creative talents from Bavaria do well in funding contests

Travel by mountain bike right through the unspoilt Bavarian countryside and enjoy a regional snack in a beer garden on the way – thanks to an invention by Markus Hellermann, Tobias Hellermann and Christoph Lingg (all from Munich) and Berliner Jonas Spengler, outdoor sports enthusiasts will soon be able to benefit from an individualised route planner. The »Treckpacker« software compiles a personalised route for each user and provides the desired additional information en route – an idea which won a prize in the German start up contest in 2008.

lt is thanks to ideas like the above that the media and IT industry in Bavaria remains on a winning course. Hereby funding contests organised by the federal as well as the state government and associations and communes play a decisive role in strengthening the innovative strength and network formation of creative talents.
The German Computer Games Prize which is worth 600,000 euros and is presented annually, alternating between Munich and Berlin, is supported by, amongst others, the Bavarian State Chancellery and leading industry associations such as the Federal Association of Digital Economy and the Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software (BIU). It aims to promote Germany as a location for industry whereby both established games manufacturers as well as universities and schools may apply.

Varied commitment

The Bavarian state government is committed to media promotion and funding in many ways. This includes a series of renowned media prizes including the Bavarian Film Prize »Pierrot« which annually allocates 300,000 euros and supports cinema films as a cultural asset.
Since 1989 the state government has also been awarding the »Blue Panther«, the Bavarian television prize, which is organised in alternation by either BR, ProSiebenSat.1, RTL or the ZDF/3sat.
And the region offers even more funding contests for creative talents – for example from associations and societies as well as on a communal level. National appeal here comes from the Munich Business Plan Contest (MBPW). »We have a very strong participation from the colleges and research institutions in southern Bavaria,« sums up Werner Arndt, Managing Director of the MBPW, despite the current economic crises. »The winners of the MBPW needn’t worry about financing as there are plenty of financing offers for start ups in our market.«

Even health insurance companies are getting involved in the funding of the media sector. The AOK Bayern, for example, awards the Dr.-Georg-Schreiber Media Prize for outstanding journalistic achievement and is worth 25,000 euros.

© 2000-10 Messe Treff Verlag