The annual STARTS competition returns to reward the most pioneering collaborations and results in the field of creativity and innovation, at the intersection of science and technology and the arts. Since 2016, more than 350 projects from 18,900 proposals from 124 different countries have been recognized and a total of €400,000 in prizes have been distributed in the STARTS Prize competition.
Two Grand Prizes are offered, each with €20,000 in cash, to honour innovative projects at the intersection of science, technology and the arts. The emphasis of both awards lies in the creative appropriation and use of technologies, as well as in the search for unique constellations of collaboration from the STARTS fields.
- The Grand Prize – Innovative Collaboration recognises innovative collaboration between industry or technology and the arts (and creative) sectors that open up new avenues for innovation.
- The Grand Prize – Artistic Exploration recognises artistic research and works whose artistic adoption by the arts has great potential to influence or change the use, application or perception of technology.
The winners will have a prominent role at the Ars Electronica Festival and other events of the consortium partners INOVA+, French Tech Grand Provence, Media Solutions Center Baden-Württemberg, HLRS High Performance Computer Center Stuttgart, Salzburg Festival, Sonar, T6Ecosystems and Kustodie at the TUD University of Technology Dresden.
What can be submitted?
- Collaborations and innovative projects driven by both technology and the arts. Purely artistic or technological projects are not the focus of this competition.
- All forms of artistic works and practices with a strong link to innovation in technology, business and/or society; moreover, STARTS is not limited to a specific genre such as media art and digital art.
- Any type of technological and scientific research and development that has been inspired by art or that involves artists as catalysts for innovative thinking.
- The jury expects to receive proposals from various fields and disciplines. Among others, projects in the areas of new media applications, human-computer interaction, machine learning, biotechnology, art and science, green technologies, materials research, smart cities and citizen empowerment, robotics, quantum technology and many more are very welcome to apply.
- For inspiration, take a look at our wide range of winners, honorable mentions, and nominations from recent years.
Who can enter?
- Artists/creative professionals or researchers/companies involved from all over the world; STARTS is not limited to citizens of EU member states.
According to what criteria are registrations evaluated?
- The quality of artistic research and its potential influence on technology.
- Quality and success of the collaboration between art and technology.
- Quality and intensity of the connection with innovation, education, social inclusion or sustainability.
- Quality and implementation of the European Dimension of the project presented.
- General criteria such as aesthetics, originality, convincing concept, innovation, and the technique and quality of the presentation.
What is the calendar?
- The submission process for the STARTS 2026 Award began on January 7, 2026 and will end on March 4, 2026.
- The jury meets from April 16, 2026 to April 19, 2026. All winners of the 2026 STARTS Award will be notified by mid-May 2026 at the latest.
Where and when will the winning projects be presented?
- At the Ars Electronica Festival from 9 to 13 September 2026 in Linz, Austria, and at various exhibitions and events of the consortium partners around the world.