OREANDA-NEWS.  October 23, 2014. The eighth round of applications for the Prototron competition closed, attracting more than 200 entries – a new record for the competition. The teams who will get the chance to showcase their smart prototypes before the Prototron panel will be determined in the coming weeks.

The field that produced the highest number of innovative product ideas among the submissions was information and communications technology, followed by electronics and health technology. Among the ideas presented were ways of growing vegetables in urban environments, monitoring exercise for health purposes, making car motors more economical and improving the safety of aircraft emergency landings.

Robert Kitt, the man behind Prototron and a member of the management board of Swedbank, says the fact that the prototype fund has been operating for two years and that more than 200 exciting new ideas have been submitted shows that the competition has more than proven its worth. “I’m really proud that Estonians have such a drive to look for and come up with solutions that are improving people’s lives,” he said.

Siim Lepisk, the CEO of Prototron, says the ideas that have been submitted reflect the creativity and vision of the people behind them. “Which is what makes what we now have to do – selecting the projects we think have the greatest potential and giving these teams the chance to sell their ideas to us – all the more difficult!” he said.

“Prototron’s supported 15 projects so far, around half of which have made it onto the market or received private investment,” explained Prototron founder and Tehnopol Science Park director Jaak Raie. “It goes to show that these ideas have real breakthrough potential and that what the fund does really gives them a chance to grow.”

Tea Varrak, Vice Rector for Innovation and Internationalisation at Tallinn University of Technology, says the jointly established fund is without doubt serving its purpose. “People are entrusting us with their ideas, and the experts involved are seen as the key to success in moving forward and realising these concepts,” she said.

Up to ten teams will be given the chance to showcase their ideas before the Prototron panel, which comprises Priit Alamae (Nortal), Jaak Raie (Tehnopol), Robert Kitt (Swedbank), Yrjo Ojasaar (EstBAN), Andrus Oks (SmartCap), Margus Uudam (EstVCA) and Jaanus Tamm (Defendec).

15 projects have received financing from Prototron to date, to a value of more than 200,000 euros. A number of products have also been successfully launched on the market: Shaka’s wind meter for smartphones; Qminder’s portative stand that communicates with smartphones and helps people avoid standing around in queues; Secured3D’s system for the protection of 3D printing copyright; Antelope’s app for the real-time positioning of surgical instruments; and Flydog’s marine monitoring systems. The language-learning system created by the Lingvist team – which promises that users will learn any language in 200 hours – was released for testing last week.

In evaluating the ideas submitted and deciding which to support, the panel consider the business potential and innovation of the prototypes as well as the competence of the teams that will put them together. The terms and conditions of the application round set no maximum limits on the amounts for which they can apply.