European Commissions’ STARTS Prize 2020 for Innovation in Technology, Industry and Society stimulated by the Arts | Opportunities For Africans

Application Deadline:March 2nd, 2020

STARTS is an initiative of the European Commission to foster alliances of technology and artistic practice. As part of this initiative, the STARTS Prize awards the most pioneering collaborations and results in the field of creativity and innovation at the crossings of science and technology with the arts. The STARTS Prize of the European Commission is launched by Ars Electronica, BOZAR and Waag.

Science, Technology and Arts (=STARTS) form a nexus with an extraordinarily high potential for creative innovation. And such innovation is considered to be precisely what’s called for if we’re to master the social, ecological and economic challenges that Europe will be facing in the near future. The role of artists thus is no longer seen to be just about propagating scientific and technological knowledge and skills among the general public but much more as a kind of catalyst that can inspire and trigger innovative processes. The artistic practice of creative exploration and experimental appropriation of new technologies has a wide reaching potential to contribute to the development of new products and new economic, social and business models. Accordingly, the STARTS Prize focuses on artistic works that influence or change the way we look at technology, and on innovative forms of collaboration between the ICT sector and the world of art and culture.

Two prizes, each with €20,000 prize money, are offered to honor innovative projects at the intersection of science, technology and the arts: one for artistic exploration, and thus projects with the potential to influence or change the way technology is deployed, developed or perceived, and one for innovative collaboration between industry/technology and art/culture in ways that open up new paths for innovation.

What can be submitted?

Artists / creative professionals or the researchers / companies involved from throughout the world; STARTS is not limited to citizens of EU-member states.

Application Procedure:
The submission phase for 2020 STARTS Prize begins on January 9th, 2020. The submission platform is accessible between January 10th and March 2nd, 2020, at starts-prize-call.aec.at.

Every submitted project must be, at the time of its submission, either totally completed or far enough along for the jury to be able to assess its quality and the likelihood of it being successfully implemented. The same applies to collaborative arrangements—at the time they’re submitted, they must already be up-and-running and in the implementation stage. No consideration will be given to entries that are purely concepts, ideas or proposals for collaboration.

Projects should not be older than two years or have to show a significant update or further development within the last two years.

There is no fee to enter the STARTS Prize 2020 competition.

Every submission to the Prix Ars Electronica prize competition can also be entered for STARTS Prize consideration. In other words, it’s possible for a single project to win both the STARTS Prize 2020 as well as a Prix Ars Electronica Golden Nica grand prize. How does this work? It’s totally easy—at the end of the Prix Ars Electronica online submission, simply check the appropriate box!

Submission Proceduree:

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