Business plans, stage lights, and lots of enthusiasm: Styria celebrated its very first “Festival of Ideas.”
“I never thought our idea would be presented on a stage – and in front of real entrepreneurs, no less.” This sentence was heard more than once at the end of the Styrian regional final of the “Next Generation” competition. And that’s exactly the point: to give young people the opportunity to think their ideas out loud, take their creativity seriously, and demonstrate just how much entrepreneurial spirit already exists in young minds.
The nationwide competition is taking place for the 19th time this year – and for the first time, Styria hosted its own final. The event was held at FH CAMPUS 02 in Graz, where students presented their projects in the categories “Idea Challenge” and “Real Market Challenge” to a distinguished jury. They were supported for months by teachers and business coaches who provided not only expertise but, above all, courage.
Two categories, many strong ideas
In the “Idea Challenge” category, the focus was on new business ideas with future potential – without requiring market readiness. Here, the team “ReDrop” from HTL Kaindorf impressed with an app that digitally manages deposit receipts across various retail chains. No more rummaging through scraps of paper!
Second place went to “Home Nails” (BHAK Eisenerz) – a concept for custom-designed fingernails that can be applied at home in seconds. In third place was “Green Scoops” from BHAK Deutschlandsberg, who fight food waste by making ice cream from rescued fruit.
In the practical “Real Market Challenge” category, “Wunder Zunder” (BHAK Deutschlandsberg) took first place – an eco-friendly firelighter made from candle remnants and sawdust. Second place went to “Trainity” from HTL Kaindorf, an app that combines nutrition, fitness, and community. Coming in third was “[re]whey” from BG/BRG Stainach, which developed a natural, drinkable whey powder – completely free of additives.
The prizes were sponsored by the Chamber of Tax Advisors and Auditors and the Steiermärkische Sparkasse.
Special awards for sustainability and innovation
Two special awards were also presented:
• The “Wuffi Eco Set” received the award for the most sustainable business idea – a dog toy free of chemicals, designed to be kind to the environment and pets alike.
• The Innovation Award went to “Card2Go,” a digital business card featuring NFC technology for contactless and lightning-fast data exchange.
Next stop: the national final in Vienna
For the top teams in both main categories, the journey continues: on 17 June, they will represent their federal state at the national final in Vienna. New challenges—and new opportunities—await. “We want to encourage young people to take their ideas seriously,” says Karin Späth, state coordinator of the eesi programme. “Because entrepreneurship often begins with a simple question: What could I change?”
The “Next Generation Award” is a business plan competition initiated by the Ministry of Education and implemented by the IFTE (Initiative for Teaching Entrepreneurship). The organisation of the Styrian regional final is managed by the e.e.si Impulszentrum für Entrepreneurship-Education and FH CAMPUS 02, represented by the Departments of Marketing & Sales and Accounting & Controlling.
