Innovation Voucher Bavaria: Success stories

CaDo System - quick remedy for catheter blockages

Especially on public holidays and at weekends, there is a lack of suitable medical staff in nursing homes or at home to change blocked indwelling urinary catheters. As a result, patients are often transported to hospitals and emergency clinics, which is very costly for the healthcare system. Apart from the financial aspect, a delayed change of blocked catheters is a health risk for the often demented and helpless patients. Frequent causes of blockages in long-term catheterization are incrustations caused by salts and bacteria in the urine - a problem that cannot yet be satisfactorily prevented by prophylactic measures.

Urologist Dr. David Elsässer was often asked during emergency interventions in connection with catheter complications whether there was an uncomplicated way to remedy the situation. This motivated the doctor from a group practice in Erlangen to develop a fully automated catheter cleaning system.

With the CaDo system, consisting of the CaDo DRIVE control unit and CaDo CLEAN disposable material, even people with no previous medical knowledge can easily remove the catheter blockage at the nursing and patient bedside after completing an online tutorial.

Bayern Innovativ supported the development project in the period from 2017 to 2023 with several standard innovation vouchers. Funding was provided for external services for sample and prototype construction, component development and product tests for quality assurance.

The market launch of the product is initially planned for 2025 in Germany and the EU and is also conceivable in the US. The aim of the planned marketing strategy is to firmly establish the product in the entire field of care organization for patients with indwelling urinary catheters. The products will initially be marketed directly and, if expanded to the DACH region and the EU, also via distributors of urological products and catheter manufacturers.

HF tent with shielding effect up to 16 GHz

For more than 25 years, the Upper Franconian company lifetexsafety GmbH from Gefrees has been developing and manufacturing innovative protective textiles against nuclear, biological and chemical threats. The product range also includes textiles for technical applications, such as data blocker covers for cell phones and laptops as well as equipment and vehicle shielding tents.

Years of collaboration with criminal investigation services in the UK have allowed the concept of data security to mature and become successful.

In 2021, lifetexsafety launched the development of a fully hermetically shielded RF tent. The innovative product was launched in spring 2023.

The use of a 2-layer, galvanically multi-coated and yet air-permeable outer material was particularly challenging. But the development of the tent frame and the insulation concepts for cable openings were also challenging.

A research and development partner (R&D partner) from Hungary took on the external project steps for the development, design and prototype construction of the demountable support frame as well as the development of a shielded power supply unit. Finally, this company also carried out shielding tests. The objective for the R&D partner was that the tent should be quick and easy to erect and dismantle in a few simple steps using folding technology and that it should be stored in a transport bag. The energy supply to the inside of the tent was developed on the basis of a series of tests. Special insulation materials and cable sheaths were used to ensure safe HF coupling.

lifetexsafety applied for a standard innovation voucher for these external R&D services. Due to the company's location in an "area with special need for action" and its status as a "micro-enterprise", a funding rate of 60% was approved.

The innovative RF tent for complete shielding is primarily intended for use in halls and buildings, e.g. for analyzing confiscated cell phones, WLAN routers or similar wireless devices. It has an access airlock and shielded tent ventilation to allow the people inside to stay for several hours. Compared to the state of the art, complete shielding is guaranteed even for large areas and the seams and fabric connections are designed to be permanently conductive.

Revolutionizing the food industry starts with cocoa-free chocolate

It's no secret that cocoa has a poor carbon footprint. This was the motivation for food chemist Sara and materials scientist Maximilian to find an alternative with a better ecological footprint.

Siblings Sara and Max Marquart became shareholders in a corporation.

The start-up company applied for Standard and Special innovation vouchers for external R&D services to implement their innovative idea.

The production of chocolate in a pilot plant, with the aim of identifying the optimum texture, was funded with a standard innovation voucher. The texture is decisively influenced by the particle size and determines the flow and forming properties. As a result, the R&D partner from the scientific field determined the product properties in the production process.

The second innovation voucher SPEZIAL, which built on this, supported the central topic of "Identical taste to cocoa". The R&D partner from the university sector identified suitable by-products that can be used in a chocolate production process to derive chocolate substitutes that taste similar to conventional chocolate, e.g. milk chocolate.

Just two years after the company was founded and after intensive, fast-paced development work, an alternative raw material for cocoa made from regional oat and sunflower seeds is now available to the mass market.

The first cocoa-free chocolate will be available in food retailers from October 2023. This cocoa alternative will also be an ingredient in the muesli of a northern German food company and in the cookie products of a food manufacturer in Rhineland-Palatinate. The aim is to have a double-digit number of products on the market by May 2024.

Dense at the touch of a finger

Germans consume almost 700,000 tons of yoghurt every year. However, this is also associated with a flood of plastic waste. Bavarian engineer and inventor Roland Kittmann from Reichertshausen has calculated that 250 tons of aluminium and around 500 tons of plastic could be saved in Europe every year if the 125-gram yoghurt pot were replaced by a 500-gram yoghurt pot.

Until now, supermarkets have only offered plastic covers for sealing opened yogurt pots. This is a challenge for the user in terms of dexterity and is not really leak-proof.

With sustainability and usability in mind, the engineer was motivated to develop a reusable, watertight and very easy-to-use lid for 500 gram cups and containers with an opening diameter of 95 mm. After years of tinkering, the result was the patent-protected "1handLid". A specially serrated clip edge opens and closes by pressing down on the center of the lid.

The prototype phase of the project was supported by the Bavarian Innovation Vouchers funding program. The approval of two standard innovation vouchers supported the work of R&D partners in the field of injection molding and mold construction from Saxony, Middle Franconia and Baden-Württemberg. After almost 10 years of development work, several trials led from a single-component solution to a solution made of two-component plastic that met the developer's quality requirements.

The "1handLid" lid will initially be marketed in the company's own online store and via retail chains. There are also plans to issue licenses.

Uplock - the folding lock that is integrated into the bicycle seat post

The leisure cyclist and employed engineer Ulrich Preß launched the innovative product development of an integrated bicycle folding lock within 3 years. He founded the start-up "solos engineering e.K." for this purpose.

UPLOCK is a folding lock concept that is fully integrated into the bicycle frame. The system consists of two components, the UPLOCK seat post and the folding lock. The seat post has a special opening mechanism to accommodate the lock. The folding lock is made of hardened, high-strength steel, which guarantees maximum security! The UPLOCK system offers a simple, secure and invisible way of storing the lock.

The product idea was implemented with the help of two R&D service providers from the private sector and a university research institute. With the help of the standard innovation voucher, these external research and development services were subsidized by 60%. The developer applied twice for an extension of the deadline, so that the project was successfully completed in January 2021. During the development period, it became apparent that not all work packages were required. For this reason, the applicant submitted a proof of use with a reduced cost scope.

The seat posts are currently available in diameters of 27.2 mm and 31.6 mm. The existing seat post can be easily replaced with UPLOCK and of course the existing saddle can still be used.

The product will be launched from fall 2022 via online and specialist retailers for the aftermarket. Detailed information on the product can be found on the website .

Hair care in powder form with the convenience of a conventional shampoo

The company Less Waste Club from Kirchroth in Lower Bavaria develops and sells personal care products in granulated form. These products in powder form not only save disposable plastic and_CO2, but the company also attaches great importance to maximum environmental compatibility when it comes to the ingredients.

The development of a powdered shampoo was realized with the help of the Innovation Voucher Standard. The aim was for the shampoo powder to be usable with the addition of water, like a conventional liquid shampoo, without it "tipping" due to the addition of tap water.

In order to develop a product tailored to the customer's requirements, the expertise of a specialized chemical laboratory in the field of personal care was used. The R&D service provider took over the recipe development and also produced initial samples (prototypes) for product testing. The sustainable shampoo was notified in the EU register once development had been finalized.

The start-up company is currently marketing its products via its own online store and through selected retail partners.

Development of a hydrostatic device for the impression of a lower leg stump

Many years of international experience inspire the Simone and Andreas Radspieler team time and again to innovate in prosthetics and orthotics. In doing so, they master challenges in research and development.

The "Symphonie Aqua System VC TT" enables precise and accurate measurement of the soft tissue and bony structures of the lower leg stump under full load.

The "Symphonie Aqua System" previously available on the market has shown that the need for a mobile version is indispensable. Essential applications outside the home, such as in hospitals, care facilities and rehabilitation centers, were always associated with a great deal of effort.

The challenge of developing a mobile device was to combine the principles and advantages of the existing stationary system in a compact system and also to enable uncomplicated assembly and disassembly.

The necessary weight reduction was achieved by combining different materials. The outer shell is therefore made of a combination of stainless steel and aluminum and the inner tanks are made of plastic. The pipe infrastructure within the system was reduced to a minimum in order to save weight and space.

The product is marketed by the sales company of the Radspieler Center for Mobility, ROMEDIS GmbH. Detailed information on the product can be found on the website .

The developer and patent holder, Radspieler Zentrum für Mobilität from Neubeuern, was awarded a standard innovation voucher of €14,500 for the external services, development, design and prototype construction used in this project.

Healthy building with the right building materials

The Upper Franconian company Ziegelei Götz e. K. from Reckendorf has been family-owned for more than 170 years. Over the course of history, the production and delivery range has changed considerably. While roof tiles were still being manufactured in 1850, the company has now concentrated on the production of clay blocks, thermopor bricks, clay and building materials.

Under the brand name "Terra Forma", the brickworks has developed and launched a specially developed clay plaster without additives for outdoor use. Until now, clay plasters have only been available in the building materials trade for indoor use.

The development step "product tests for quality assurance" was implemented with the help of the Bavarian Innovation Voucher. Over a period of 8 months, the prototype of the "Terra Forma" plaster material was tested on an outdoor test building. It was proven that the innovative clay plaster can withstand driving rain as well as fog, frost and extreme sunlight. The material was designed in such a way that it is suitable for standard plastering machines, but can also be applied by hand.

It is sold at on-site workshops and via the company's own online store. Clay plaster is used in particular in ecological construction, regardless of whether it is a new build or renovation of an old building. Clay is a weathered product from the rock layer of our earth, i.e. a mixture of clay minerals with sandy/stony components, which is highly valued by building biologists. It has excellent sound insulation and heat storage properties and can be reused without the need for recycling.

Variable cutting protection device on tilting and circular table saws

The medium-sized mechanical engineering company HMG Hess GmbH & Co. KG specializes in the development and manufacture of modern machines for firewood processing and has been a supplier to stationary specialist dealers and end users for over 30 years.

The combination of tilting saw and circular table saw is well known. However, it was previously not possible to safeguard the cutting material pick-up area when the tilting support was tilted. In order to avoid injuries, a new safety regulation has now made such protection a prerequisite.

With the help of the Bavarian innovation voucher, HMG GmbH & Co. KG has implemented the design and prototype construction of this flexible cutting protection device. The innovation makes it easy to convert the saw, combined with a high level of safety.

The Lower Bavarian company markets the product in its online store and via stationary specialist retailers. The machine is used in private households, forestry operations, agriculture, forestry, construction and carpentry.