Co-creation through open innovation
Accelerate your business by collaborating with one of Europe’s leading industrial companies and shape a sustainable future together. If you are a venture of a forerunner in your sector ready to make an impact, apply now for the OMV Group Sphere open innovation challenges and collaborate with OMV, Borealis and OMV Petrom to solve them.
Enter OMV Group’s
fast-track collaboration program
OMV Group’s belief is that collaboration and partnership are key to transforming from value chain to value circle and fulfil our purpose of “reinventing the essentials for sustainable living”.
We are looking for startups, scale-ups and strategic partners to work on new business opportunities together with OMV, Borealis and OMV Petrom. Work in one team with our experts and benefit from top-management involvement to come up with smart and fast decisions for a better world.
Join our community and stay in the loop for future challenges
Simply sign up to our mailing list and be the first to know when new opportunities are launched.
Our past challenges
Smart management of sustainable energy at OMV filling stations
Applications closed
May 2023
Location:
Remote (optional OMV HQ)
Revolutionizing e-commerce packaging with reusable polyolefins-based solutions
Applications closed
May 2023
Location:
Remote (optional Borealis HQ)
Transforming spent coffee grounds into sustainable products
Applications closed
May 2023
Location:
Remote (optional OMV HQ)
We are looking for innovative solutions
Together with startups, scaleups and strategic partners, we want to provide breakthrough solutions in sectors such as future mobility, circular economy, sustainable fuels, and beyond. Solutions can be technical, digital or material and we are scouting for trends and opportunities all the time.
Help us shape the future, and benefit from OMV Group’s global operations, resources and market access to grow your business.
Alfred Stern
Alfred Stern, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO
Smart management of sustainable energy at OMV filling stations
Electric vehicles help curb CO2 emissions, especially when the energy used to power them comes from renewable sources. We're enabling the switch to e-mobility and by 2030, we aim to install 5.500 charging points at OMV filling stations and new locations. We want to optimize our use of renewable energy in these destinations.
We are searching for an integrated solution that will allow us to better use the electricity we need to operate both the EV chargers and filling stations. The on-site solution will combine hardware and software to optimize electricity usage. We need to store electricity from both, our photovoltaic production as well as from the public grid. It should support OMV’s sites where the grid connection is insufficient, as well as optimize the consumption peaks during high demand periods so that we can leverage the market conditions. The proposal should highlight the advantages of the offered hardware and software technology. Since we’re dealing with electricity, the solution should be able to comply with local safety and other legislative requirements.
Revolutionizing
e-commerce packaging with reusable polyolefins-based solutions
As e-commerce sales continue to grow, traditional single-use packaging creates excessive waste in consumers' homes. With increased consumer awareness of sustainability, and regulatory pressure over single used packaging, there is momentum to deploy innovative packaging solutions in e-commerce. We need to maximize the value of packaging by creating reusable and recyclable solutions that balance sustainability, product protection, and supply chain efficiency.
Whilst plastic has many benefits, which we’ve enjoyed for years, we need to ensure that waste isn’t part of its story. At Borealis, we're leading the circular change for plastics and reinventing them for sustainability. We're seeking partners to collaborate on designing and developing innovative, reusable polyolefins-based packaging solutions for e-commerce, bring them to scale and set up an efficient dual-loop system (reuse & recycle). In the scope of the solution, material innovations, new design standards, and smart technologies are critical for success.
Transforming spent coffee grounds into sustainable products
OMV is transitioning from value chain to value circle and we’re looking at the different ways across our integrated energy, fuels and chemicals business to do that. In 1500 filling stations in Central and Eastern Europe, we produce tons of spent coffee grounds each year. These grounds don’t need to be wasted, but they often end up in landfills, contributing to methane and CO2 levels. We're seeking smart solutions to collect and repurpose these grounds sustainably.
We're looking for a partner who can help us collect and process coffee grounds into innovative products and ideally appealing to our filling station customers. We're open to considering all kinds of products, from heating pellets to recyclable packaging solutions, possibly even bio-fuels and bio-chemical components. We are looking for a partner with experience in developing sustainable and innovative solutions from bio sources.
Approach
Applications open
We open the applications for the second edition of the OMV Group Sphere Challenges.
Applications close
We close the applications for the challenge at 11 PM (CEST). Following application deadline, all entries will be evaluated based on merit.
Remote pitches
Potential collaborators with best solution proposals will be invited to remote pitches with OMV Group managers and experts to discuss their solution, technology, and provide an overview of business model.
Proof of concept phase
During the proof-of-concept phase the goal is to validate the proposal, run pilots and field trials and develop a business case.
Long term cooperation
Successful teams will be then given the chance to enter a long-term cooperation with OMV, Borealis or OMV Petrom.
What’s in it for you if you join the challenge?
Secure a dedicated
proof-of-concept budget
Access the resources to develop a solution with a large scale impact on the sustainable fuels and circular economy market.
Benefit from structured
and fast decision-making
Pitch your solution directly to OMV Group decision makers, responding to current organizational needs.
Access a large customer base and resources
Apply, test and develop your product within OMV’s vast group network and local partners.
Win a strong and dedicated partner
Expand your network and gain a trusted and experienced collaboration partner to jointly promote your product.
Make the most of expert mentoring
Learn directly from our experts, get access to our network & infrastructure, and work with us on an eye-to-eye level.
Be part of a rapidly evolving sphere
You will benefit not only from recognition of an innovative solution but also experience a rapid transformation of your idea.
Meet the stakeholders
Still have questions?
We’ve got you covered.
Fill out the application form and provide us with the core information about your solution and your company (It takes approximately 20-30 minutes). When we require further information, we will contact you for a personal interview.
The applications call is open until the date published on specific challenge. Following application deadline, all entries will be evaluated based on merit. If your application is selected for further round you will get notified and invited to present your ideas and solution in a remote pitching session the latest 3-6 weeks after applications closing.
Ventures with best solution proposals will be invited to an online interview (remote pitch) with our managers and experts to discuss their solution, technology, and provide an overview of business model.
Down-selected ventures will be invited to pitch at the final event in front of the expert team. For this you might be expected to provide overview of costs to size your prototype. All information you need to do this will be shared with you at this stage.
Successful teams will be then given the chance to enter cooperation with OMV Group and develop a prototype of the solution.
You can take part in the challenge without travelling. It is not mandatory to attend in-person sessions through the screening rounds.
If your solution is selected for PoC at the later stage, you might be invited to the workshop/demo day in our offices. OMV Group will cover travel and accommodation costs (in line with OMV Group travel policies).
Applications, documentation, workshops and pitches will be held in English.
You will have 30-40 minutes to pitch your solution, followed by a short question-answer round. Remote pitches will beheld 3-6 weeks after applications closing and suitable time will be agreed with your team.
Got questions? Contact us.
Katarina Sekeljic
katarina.sekeljic@omv.com
Marjo Väänänen
marjo.vaananen@borealisgroup.com
