Playing instead of cramming: :
Diego Lenero wins the 2026 ideas competition

Diego Lenero's educational game, which focuses on the intuitive understanding of complex interrelationships, secured him the first prize of 1,000 euros. With his enterprise "Magigam", the prizewinner aims to translate real academic, philosophical and social systems into game rules. Players try things out, make decisions and directly experience the consequences. The aim is to make connections understandable without having to read explanatory texts or answer quiz questions. Learning happens incidentally by experiencing cause and effect.

Diego Lenero places his idea in a social context: Young people are growing up in a media environment overflowing with stimuli, while the challenges are becoming increasingly complex. Traditional forms of communication can no longer keep up with perfectly optimised entertainment media. He sees this as a social risk: "Those who don't understand complex systems intuitively are susceptible to simplification, disinformation and manipulation," he says.

His first product, "F.R.O.G.S", utilises mechanisms based on biology and evolution. Players have to survive for generations and learn how evolution, natural selection and ecological relationships work. F.R.O.G.S is designed as a test version to initially test how well the so-called "Magigam principle" works. Only then will the system be extended to other topics such as physics, ethics, power and responsibility or social justice. Initial tests with players have shown a high level of motivation, strong replay behaviour and a recognisable understanding of the system. An accompanying academic study is now investigating whether the game generates a measurable understanding of evolution in twelve-year-olds.

High-calorie confectionery for clinical care

Second place, worth 750 euros, was taken by Mirjam Hunger, a Bachelor's graduate from the Nutritional, Food and Consumer Sciences department. With "NutriMelt", she wants to offer patients with malnutrition or swallowing disorders a product with a very high energy density. The high-calorie "ice-cream confectionery" with a chocolatey coating is intended to appeal to older people and people with multiple morbidities in particular and manage a higher level of acceptance than conventional nutritional drinks.

NutriMelt combines medical and psychosocial benefits: It increases energy and nutrient intake, prevents deficiencies, supports wound healing and mobility while offering a pleasurable moment. The originator of the idea sees the target group as including two to three million malnourished hospital patients and people living in nursing homes and rehabilitation centres every year.

Electrolyte-enriched mixed wine drink for the health-conscious

The third prize, worth 500 euros, went to a Master's student from the Department of Health Science for his idea "RevivaVino". Enis Ciftci's product is aimed at health-conscious adults who appreciate wine but want to reduce the typical side effects of alcohol consumption caused by water and electrolyte loss. RevivaVino supports the fluid balance during drinking through a specifically coordinated mixture of wine, water, lemonade and minerals, thus creating a more digestible drinking experience.

A total of six teams presented their ideas at the awards ceremony at the Fulda University Transfer Centre. As always, the audience was able to award their own prize in a live vote. Mirjam Hunger was delighted once again. She received a voucher for a sightseeing flight over the Wasserkuppe for "NutriMelt".

Fulda University of Applied Sciences organises the ideas competition once a year. The aim is to encourage students to think about start-ups. In addition to the product idea, the submitted project outlines must also convincingly present their benefits and provide initial approaches for marketing and sales. During the award ceremony, the young enterprise Foxira also reported on its EXIST funding year at the university.

The winners at a glance

Jury prizes:
1. Magigam - Enterprise for educational games (Diego Lenero, Department of Applied Computer Science, 1,000 euros prize money)

2. NutriMelt - a nutrient-enriched ice-cream confectionery for clinical care (Mirjam Hunger, Department of Nutritional, Food and Consumer Sciences, 750 euros prize money)

3. RevivaVino - electrolyte-enriched mixed wine drink that combines enjoyment with additional functional benefits. (Enis Ciftci, Department of Health Science, 500 euros prize money)

Audience Award:
NutriMelt - A nutrient-enriched ice-cream confectionery for clinical care (Mirjam Hunger, Department of Nutritional, Food and Consumer Sciences)

Other ideas that were presented:
AI-supported, interactive language learning dashboard (Vaithesh Ganesan, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology)

Circular food production that transforms high-quality fruit and vegetables into four innovative product lines (Masoumeh Jourahmad, Department of Food Technology)

PantryPad - smart solution for intelligent storage in private budgets (Jonas Göbel, Department of Applied Computer Science)