MATERIALS HACK

If you want to disrupt the world of materials as well as their application areas, you are at the right hack. You will have the chance to attend the Materials Hack and work together with 40 selected participants from all around Europe to become one of the top two teams to win the cash prizes and enter the Second Phase: a three-week financially supported Materials Incubation with support from Borealis and StartUs. The winning team of the Materials Incubation will receive a €10k cash prize and a chance to work further with Borealis.
Moreover, to make sure you don’t face any financial or travel obstacles we will provide you with support in both phases of the Materials Hack.
– Participation in the Materials Hackathon is free of charge and during the application process you will be able to apply for a travel & accommodation grant.
– In addition to the cash prizes, the participants of the Materials Incubation will receive accommodation and a working space in Vienna as well as a €1125 working grant per participant.

Yes, you are welcome to apply as a team of 3 or 4 people. In the application you can name your team mates.

Depending on the final pitches of the case studies there will be up to two winning teams selected. Both teams will get cash prizes worth €3k and €2k respectively, but they will also have the opportunity to enter a three-week Materials Incubation with Borealis and StartUs. The winning teams of the Materials Incubation will get a €10k cash prize and a chance to work further with Borealis. Read more about the Materials Incubation in the next question.
Moreover, to make sure you don’t face any financial or travel obstacles we will provide you with support in both phases of the Materials Hack:
– Participation in the Materials Hackathon is free of charge and during the application process you will be able to apply for a travel & accommodation grant.
– In addition to the cash prizes, the participants of the Materials Incubation will receive accommodation and a working space in Vienna as well as a €1125 working grant per participant.

The Materials Incubation will be entered by two winning teams of the Materials Hackathon and will take place in August 2016 in Vienna, Austria. The purpose of the Materials Incubation is for two winning teams to continue working on the project outcome pitched by them at the end of the Materials Hackathon.
During this phase you will have regular feedback sessions with members of the Borealis team and prominent mentors invited by StartUs. You will also receive constant operational support from the StartUs team.
Each team will be provided with a co-working desk, accommodation in Vienna and a €1125 working grant per participant. The winning team of the Materials Incubation will receive a €10k cash prize and depending on the project outcome – a possibility to further work with Borealis.

Easy. In the application form you will find the possibility to apply for an accommodation and/or travel grant. Accommodation will include a place in a hostel room in Vienna. A travel grant will be provided to selected participants coming from further than 150 km outside of Vienna. The distance from the city of departure to Vienna will be calculated through the Erasmus Distance Calculator:
– From 150km – 250k outside of Vienna: max €60 reimbursement.
– From 250km – 500k outside of Vienna: max €150 reimbursement.
– From 500km and above outside of Vienna: max €320 reimbursement.
So here is how it works: you apply for the travel grant → receive a grant → pay for your travel → provide us with receipts → get reimbursed according to the distance calculator mentioned above.
And remember, we are always there to help you, so if you have questions, contact us via the form at the bottom of the page.

It is necessary for you to be a part of the Materials Hackathon for the entire period. Why? During the first day of the Hackathon we will have team matching activities that have an impact on the rest of the event.

Please see the Terms & Conditions described in the application form.

Please contact us through the contact form at the bottom of the page and our Project Communications Manager Ioana Savu will answer as soon as possible.