The Competition

Every day, people across Germany develop new ideas with creativity, passion and ingenuity. In the annual ‘Landmarks in the Land of Ideas’ competition, the ‘Germany – Land of Ideas’ initiative and Deutsche Bank honour innovative, forward-looking projects. Good ideas are sought from all over Germany that provide answers to the challenges of tomorrow, today. Companies, research organizations and universities, as well as art and cultural institutions, social enterprises, and initiatives across Germany are eligible to take part. A high-profile panel of judges selects the top ideas. The aim of the competition is to provide a stage for Germany’s most valuable resource: the ideas in people’s minds. Ideas are sought from the fields of business, environment, society, culture, and education that benefit Germany and its inhabitants. The competition evolved from the ‘365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas’ event series.

Since 2006 more than 3,000 projects have been recognised. In 2013, the competition was given an annual theme for the first time, and focused on cities. In 2014, the judges honoured the 100 best ideas for shaping rural regions. In 2015, under the heading ‘Urban Space. Rural Space. Cyberspace! Innovations for a Digital World’, projects from Germany were sought that demonstrate and leverage the potential of digitalisation. In 2016, the competition ‘CommUnitynnovation – a model for success’ awarded prizes to 100 projects that show the added value and potential of joint action, whether in business partnerships, scientific networks, or neighborhood initiatives. The 2017 ‘Landmarks in the Land of Ideas’ competition recognised projects that encourage an open-minded society. In 2018, we were looking for 100 ideas to strengthen solidarity within Germany. In 2019, the competition "Landmarks in the Land of Ideas" took place for the last time. The topic was "digitalize. revolutionize. motivate. Ideas for Work and Education in Germany and Europe". The judges honoured ten ideas. Get to know them here.