STARTS Prize - Grand prize of the European Commission honoring innovation in technology, industry and society stimulated by the arts

Project Information

STARTS Prize

Grant agreement ID: 732019

DOI

10.3030/732019

Project closed

EC signature date 27 September 2016

Start date 1 January 2017

End date 31 December 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Total cost

€ 1 036 250,00

EU contribution

€ 1 036 250,00

Coordinated by

ARS ELECTRONICA LINZ GMBH & CO KG
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - STARTS Prize (STARTS Prize - Grand prize of the European Commission honoring innovation in technology, industry and society stimulated by the arts)

Reporting period: 2019-07-01 to 2020-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

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 extraordinary 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.

The STARTS Prize showcases and celebrates visions and achievements at the interface between innovation and creation—driven by both science/technology and the arts as well as honors the inspiring individuals and teams behind these achievements. By opening it to artists, creative professionals, researchers and companies from all over the world, the STARTS Prize targets to expand everyone’s horizon in order to work on new ideas and showcase best-practice examples.
This international prize highlights Europe’s power as a breeding ground for innovation and creative excellence. It has succeeded in implementing 4 open calls to which 9366 projects were submitted in total via the submission platform. The consortium organized four jury meetings in which the invited experts singled out 8 Grand Prize winners as well as 38 Honorary Mentions among the 118 finalist nominations as the most forward looking collaborations at the crossings of creativity and innovation with art, science, technology and society.
At a total of 88 implemented dissemination events in total these selected works were showcased and further collaborations between the arts and innovation activities encouraged. These events included the organization of 4 prize ceremonies to honor the inspiring individuals and teams behind these achievements, the production of 7 exhibtions, 11 participations in other exhibitions organized by the consortium and collaboration partners, the organization of 28 conferences or talks as well as 37 presentations of STARTS Prize at events of dissemination partners.
To a grand total of 2.460.000 visitors at physical events and via 344 social media posts, 45 videos, 25 press releases and 5 publications a further 16 Million clicks were generated in order to center both social and economic added value of creativity for a change in innovation.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The following STARTS Prize activities were implemented:
Selection and Announcement of Winners
11.1.-13.3.2017 / 10.1.-12.3.2018 / 10.1.-11.3.2019/ 9.1.-16.3.2020: STARTS Prize Open Call
6.-10.4.2017 / 19.-23.4.2018 / 11.-15.4.2019 / 30.4.-1.5.2020: STARTS Prize Jury Meeting
9.5.2017 / 4.6.2018 / 20.5.2019 / 8.6.2020: STARTS Prize Press conference/ winner announcement
8.9.2017 / 7.9.2018 / 5.9.2019 / 9.9. & 25.9.2020: Award Ceremony

Dissemination Events
Main STARTS Exhibitions
07.-11.9.2017 / 06.-10.9.2018 / 5.-9.9.2019 / 9.-13.9.2020: Ars Electronica Festival
14-30.9.2017 / 19.-30.9.2018 / 26.9.-25.10.2020: BOZAR

Organization of conferences / talks
2017: Get Inspired; STARTS Roundtable and STARTS Prize Forum, STARTS Prize Talks; Opening Symposium & Symp. Art, Science and Technology Collaborations in Europe; Frankfurter Buchmesse – ARTS+; DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum, Berlin; Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven
2018 CEBIT; WeMakeTheCity Amsterdam; Ars Electronica Festival, STARTS Day: STARTS Collaborations, Embracing the Risk: STARTS Talks, AI in Art & Science, Strategy for responsible Innovation; Human agency in the robotic world; STARTS Talk at European lab Brussels; ESA // Creativity driving research in outer space.
2019 Ars Electronica Festival, STARTS Day: Practices & Impacts of STARTS Collaborations, : Regional STARTS Centers, Co-Thinking the Renewal of Fashion, GET.Inspired Legal Frameworks for STARTS Collaborations, STARTS Prize Talks, Humanizing AI; Genova Science Festival; Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing, Humanizing Technology Shenzhen
2020 Ars Electronica Festival, STARTS Day: Art Thinking as Catalyst, Art Thinking Forum: Humanizing Technology, STARTS Prize Forum, Salon Universitas, Mapping Collaborative Practices, Fashion. Technology. Responsibility., STARTS Talk: Art & Tech for Urban Resilience, A Theory of Change; Cyberspaces Proximity, Go with the Flow and Stay with the Troubles; Andrea Ling; Home Delivery; Olga Kisseleva; Arts & Tech; ROBOTS ARE PEOPLE TOO
The consortium realized and was part of 88 dissemination events, including 11 participations in other exhibitions organized by collaboration partners, organization of 28 conferences and talks as well as 37 presentations at events of dissemination partners.

The following tasks were completed:
Description of the two STARTS Prizes and open call design 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Preparation of online submission tool 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Announcement and call for submissions for the STARTS Prize 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Dual Submission approach 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Organization of jury meeting 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Evaluation of the jury 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Prize ceremony of STARTS Prize winners 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020*
Exhibition of prize-winning project at Ars Electronica Festival 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
STARTS Forum at Ars Electronica Festival 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Presentation of prize-winning projects at BOZAR Electronic Arts Festival 2017, 2018, 2020
Communication of results
Set-up of the project's governance structure
Project Management 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Financial and administrative management 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Due to COVID19, many STARTS events were taken online in the form of live-streamed panels, talks, webinars, videos and workshops.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Science, Technology and ARTS (=STARTS) limn a nexus at which insightful observers have identified extraordinarily high potential for innovation. And innovation is 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. With the STARTS Prize initiative, Europe is able to focus on projects and people that can make meaningful contributions to this effort. Here, art is assigned the role of catalyst that propagates scientific and technological knowledge and skills among the general public and triggers innovative processes. Accordingly, the STARTS Prize is emphasizing, on the one hand, artistic works that influence or change the way we look at innovation, and, on the other hand, very promising forms of collaboration between the private sector and the world of art and culture.

The main objectives of the STARTS Prize are:
* A contribution to a paradigm shift in innovation
* Awareness building
* Integration
* Transdisciplinary
* Contextualization

STARTS Prize Logo