Information and communication technology focused Innovators all around the world are invited to register for the 2019 Bell Labs Prize.
The Bell Labs Prize is a competition for innovators from participating countries around the globe that seeks to recognize proposals that ‘change the game’ in the field of information and communications technologies by a factor of 10 and provides selected innovators the unique opportunity to collaborate with Bell Labs researchers to help realize their vision.
The Challenge
The Bells Labs Prize is looking for game-changing and impactful ideas that have the potential to change the way we live, work and communicate with each other.
Stage One
In Stage One, you will be requested to formulate an idea (max 250 words) related to the field of information and communications technologies. You will have the option to attach 3 pages of text and/or images to illustrate your concept.
In the submission form, the indicative list of categories related to communication technologies has been outlined. Please select the one that best matches your idea. The list is not restrictive and you are free to indicate a different category.
Categories: Web Applications, Cloud Services, Information Theory, Coding Theory, Computational Sciences, Cryptography, Distributed Systems, Data Privacy, Mathematics of Networks, Modulation Schemes, Optical Systems or Components, Communications Systems, Network Protocols, Security, Network Architecture, RF design, Sustainability, Wireless, Fixed Network technologies, Software-Defined Networks, Virtualization Technologies, Real-time Analytics, Search algorithms, Self-Optimizing Networks, Inference systems.
Stage Two
Finalists from Stage 1 will be assigned a Bell Labs researcher as a Partner (BLRP) to help them strengthen their idea and turn it into a robust proposal.
Your BLRP will help you develop each element of your idea – from your vision until initial thoughts on implementation through to description of context, risks, and impact. The objective is to have a strong and complete proposal that selected finalists can present in person to the Bell Labs Judging Panel.
Evaluation Criteria
Ideas will be evaluated by Bell Labs researchers based on the following 3 criteria:
- 10x Innovation Potential – How is your proposal novel – what has not been done before, what is the “out of the box” thinking that could result in a 10x change in performance (e.g., speed/throughput, distance, latency, cost, energy efficiency or simplicity)?
- Technical Merit – How technically sound is your proposal? On what current principles and capabilities does it depend versus further/future advancements and innovations?
- Feasibility – Can proof of concept, simulation or demonstration be built in the course of the competition? What is required to do so? In order to build a commercially viable (revenue and profit-generating) solution, what more would be required?
The finalists who present to the Judging Panel will also be evaluated on a 4th criterion, which focuses on the commercial value proposition:
- Business Impact – What is the magnitude of the new ICT-related business created by the proposal? How soon could it be brought to market and how differentiated/unique is the proposition?
The Prize is both a highly prestigious innovation award and a means to collaborate with the world-renowned Bell Labs.
By taking part in the competition, you will gain visibility to a high-profile audience of researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, media, and partners. You will also receive support from Nokia and Bell Labs, one of the most advanced telecommunications companies and industrial research organizations in the world.
All winners
The three winners may be given the opportunity to collaborate with Bell Labs to see their research project to fruition, when possible.
- First prize:$100K
- Second prize:$50K
- Third prize:$25K
Do you have what it takes? Register here.
