OREANDA-NEWS. In a worldwide contest presented by Deutsche Telekom and implemented by EIT ICT Labs Germany, 444 smart ideas from 4 continents and 45 countries met the contest deadline and stepped into the race to win this years' Telekom Innovation Contest. A first price valued at EUR 500,000 in Telekom resources to develop the idea into a product is awaiting the winning idea. This is including business coaching, hardware and software and access to Telekom’s infrastructure. The international contest was initiated by T-Mobile Poland, Magyar Telekom in Hungary, Telekom Innovation Laboratories in Germany, and EIT ICT Labs Germany as an implementation partner.

Dr. Heinrich Arnold, Head of Telekom Innovation Laboratories in Germany: "I am overwhelmed by the amount as well as the quality of submissions for our contest. I am very happy that we received proposals from 45 countries, with over 60 from Hungary and 46 from Poland."

After applications doubled in the last four days before 31 March, EIT ICT Labs Germany now faces an extensive task. EIT ICT Labs Germany as an implementation partner is responsible for conceptualization and project management of the contest and the effective activation of its innovation network.

"We have the great honour to have six high-ranking business managers from within the Deutsche Telekom Group committed as a jury", Dr. Udo Bub, CEO at EIT ICT Labs Germany, says. "Still, it will be an immense challenge to select and announce the twelve best ideas by Mid-May. I expect to see twelve excellent business pitches at the finals on 10 June, in our Co-Location Centre in Berlin."

With this global contest, Deutsche Telekom successfully involved teams, students and individuals as well as employees and subsidiary employees. It connected to entrepreneurial minds in countries such as Congo, Malaysia, Israel, Ethiopia, South Africa, Iran, Taiwan, Pakistan and Sweden among many others.

Some 100 submitted applications from German soil confirm the reliability of the German innovation network. A high number of submissions from the partner countries Poland and Hungary showcase the drive to innovation in Central and Eastern Europe.

"As a leading partner in innovation we welcome this contest since it is a unique opportunity for Magyar Telekom to play a principal role in emerging bright Hungarian ideas. I am confident that creative Hungarian teams will succeed in the strong international field," Robert Pataki, Chief Innovation Officer of Magyar Telekom in Hungary and jury member says. Fellow jury member Milan Zika, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer of T-Mobile Poland: "I am looking forward to seeing the prototype of the winning idea, which will be presented at our polish Telekom’s Innovation Day in December of this year".

Over one third of over 340 external applications and some 100 ideas from Telekom employees were submitted in Communications Services' subcategory. The other 60 percent consist of innovations in the field of Connected Home, Energy, Virtual Platform and Cloud Computing.