Switch2Product backs innovation, supporting innovative projects through a programme of technological validation and entrepreneurial acceleration.
All proposals that comply with the competition’s requirements will be assessed by the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) at Politecnico di Milano and by PoliHub.
The 90 best proposals will join the Switch2Product programme, and up to 25 proposals will enter the final phase.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Alumni and current students at Politecnico di Milano (studying for an undergraduate or Master’s degree, or taking a post-degree specialisation course), at POLIMI Graduate School of Management (MBAs and EMBAs) or at POLI.design
PhD research students and researchers
Teaching staff at Politecnico di Milano
Alumni or students enroller in other affiliated universities and/or research organizations
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
New business ideas and early-day startups
Innovative solutions, new technologies and scientific inventions
It is only possible to apply to S2P as a team made up of at least two people. The team may include members from outside of Politecnico di Milano, but at least one of the members must meet the listed requirements in relation to Politecnico di Milano.
Fields of application
S2P TRACKS
HEALTH&MED TECH
Technologies, products or ideas that exploit applications of knowledge and skills organised in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems developed in order to solve a health problem and improve quality of life.
CLIMATE TECH & CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Technologies, products or business ideas that mitigate the impact and growth of greenhouse gas emissions (i.e., Climate Tech) or increase the performance, productivity and/or efficiency of production, minimising negative impacts on the environment (i.e., Cleantech), exploits or uses energy generated by natural resources (i.e., Green Energy) or are based on the principle of avoiding waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use and regenerating natural systems (i.e., Circular Economy).
INDUSTRIES TRANSFORMATION
Technologies, products or business ideas that implement advanced production techniques to communicate, analyse and utilise information to direct subsequent actions in production, in moving goods and people and in enabling the exchange of information.
NEW WAYS OF WORKING AND LIVING
Technologies, products or business ideas that bring about change in culture, organisations, society, creativity and management, and which apply digital technology to all areas of human society.
#S2Pstories
projects from previous years
S2P STEPS
Teams Selected
Idea Development & Pitch Workshop
The teams behind the first 90 ideas selected can attend our Idea Development & Pitch Workshop, designed to help the teams develop their idea and build an effective pitch.
For them, it’s the opportunity to present their project to the selection committees, which will choose the best 45 from among these 90.
Semi-finalists
Innovation Boost Program
These 45 projects will join PoliHub’s Innovation Boost Program, a process of training and empowerment designed to assess the idea’s technological and business potential, and set out a positive and solid development plan, focusing especially on business models, intellectual property, financials and pitch presentations.
Finalists
Award Ceremony
Our S2P Selection Panel will choose the 25 finalist projects. The best projects in each category will be awarded grants from Politecnico and S2P Partners.
Finalists
Acceleration programme
PoliHub will propose that teams participate in the accelerator programme, customised on the basis of the relevant industries. The programme lasts four months and is organised by PoliHub, TTO and Deloitte, with support from dedicated mentors and experts. At the end of the programme, there will be a final Demo Day with a panel of investors.
TIMELINE
JUN
2022
Call opens
1 Jun 22
JUN
2023
Demo Day
WHY SHOULD YOU APPLY TO SWITCH2PRODUCT?
Practical knowledge and experience
S2P is a way for budding inventors to learn how to transform innovative ideas into projects that then become technologies, products and companies, coming into contact with thousands of people working today to build tomorrow.
Grants and Services to give your startup a boost
The grants given to the winners are designed to help them develop their projects more rapidly, helping them go through the TRL hoops or develop an MVP.
On top of these grants, through its partner companies, S2P can offer a series of technical and consultancy services to the winning and finalist startups. For example, help in licencing a patent could be crucial for the project’s next step ahead.
Reaching investors
Business angels and institutional investors are on the selection committees and panels.
Teams that have joined PoliHub’s acceleration programme, once they have completed it, can attend an Investor Day to present their projects attend private meetings with Fondo POLI360 and Tech4Planet.
Access to PoliHub and its network
Teams on the acceleration programme can join PoliHub’s network, becoming an integral part of one of the largest communities of deep tech innovators.
An acceleration programme customised for your industry
For every track, S2P offers a customised pathway based on the specifications of the relevant industry and the needs of each team, leveraging on PoliHub’s network made up of vertical experts and through the identification of opportunities in the reference market.
WHAT YOU MUST DO TO APPLY
Set up an account
Fill in the application form as carefully as you can. Attach the number of slides we ask for (and no more!), answer all our questions and tell us who’s in your team (people make the difference!). It shouldn’t take more than 30 or 40 minutes to complete the application form if you have everything you need to hand. You can save a draft and alter the information later. Send in your application once you have finish completing the form. Remember, this is your chance to stand out from the crowd. Among so many projects and inventors, you can’t give a good “first impression” a second time!
The TTO at Politecnico and PoliHub will start looking at submissions from early July, and will choose the 90 most exciting projects. In early September, the teams behind the 90 projects selected will be told that they have got through the first selection, and are now on the process that will gradually whittle them down to the best projects. The teams for the projects that did not make it to the next stage will also be informed, and will be given constructive feedback on their project to help them do better.
We only accept emails that come from the @polimi.it domain.
If you are an alumnus or alumna from Politecnico di Milano and don’t have a university email address any longer, send us a request via our Contacts section, and we’ll tell you how to get to the application form.
