With her idea Octogarn, Alexandra Plewnia is campaigning for a more sustainable textile world. Octorgarn is a modified, pollutant-free and more sustainable yarn that imitates the properties of an aquatic plant. The product is non-wettable, breathable and friction-reducing. In her pitch, the Master's student at the Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology presented various possible applications in many different industries.
She is now aiming to use the prize money to apply for a patent. This is expensive and costs up to 7,000 euros. She would like to use the remaining money to initiate the next development steps. The 28-year-old was surprised by the win. "I had hoped to finish in a place that would at least allow me to finance the registration of my patent. I didn't expect to win the main prize. This will get me to my goal much faster."
A total of 32 ideas were submitted in advance, six finalists were then allowed to present their pitches live in front of an audience in the boxing ring and face critical questions from the judges from the business and start-up scene. E-commerce student Julia Janzen came second with "Stronger together" (prize money 15,000 euros). The app is designed to connect young people with senior citizens to help them in their everyday lives - with financial support from sponsors. The "Lani Panty" menstrual underwear by textile students Svetlana Akinsina and Anne Christine Koch with interchangeable inserts took third place (7,500 euros).
The Hochschule Niederrhein's HNX team, which organized the event, explicitly sponsors students and employees on their way to their first start-up. "We want to create a vibrant start-up culture at the university and encourage people to develop ideas into viable business models," explain Stefanie Kutsch and Stephanie Bienefeld from the HNX team. The fact that business start-ups are included in the curriculum is also an important building block. The funding awarded at the first BATTLE OF IDEAS ''22 varied between 2,500 and 20,000 euros depending on the ranking and came from the Leuchtturm_NIEDERRHEIN funding project.
