5th CloudEARTHi Conference — Ankara Medipol University, Türkiye — 6–8 October 2026
Dear Colleagues, Innovators and Entrepreneurs,
A consortium led by Ankara Medipol University is hosting the fifth CloudEARTHi conference, emphasising the crucial role of higher education in driving sustainability, Deep Technology and innovation — with a particular focus on health sciences and wellbeing. Alongside the scientific programme, we are opening a dedicated track for innovation ideas, startup concepts, prototypes and product proposals, and we invite you to submit yours.
Ankara Medipol University has kindly agreed to host the fifth edition of the CloudEARTHi conference and will be pleased to welcome co-organizing partners and participants to its campus in Ankara, Türkiye.
This track is not about finished research. It is about ideas that could become something: a venture, a product, a service, a spin-off, a pilot, a new way of doing things. We are looking for proposals at any stage — from a napkin sketch to a company already in the market — that address the conference theme and sub-themes through practice rather than through publication.
The conference’s main theme is:
“Deep Technology for Health and Wellbeing: Advancing Research, Innovation, and Multidisciplinary Collaboration for a Healthier and More Equitable Society”
Themes for submission
Project ideas are welcome in any of the following areas:
- Leadership for Industry 5.0
- Innovation ecosystems and technology transfer
- Cross-sector partnerships and community engagement for sustainability: interdisciplinary approaches
- Ethics, Equity, and Inclusion in the Age of Deep Tech
- Human-centric tech-enabled innovation for sustainable society and inclusive growth
- Academic Excellence, skill-building and innovation: future of work, entrepreneurship and education for green and tech-driven jobs
- Deep tech for healthcare
- Smart infrastructure for urban green and digital transition
- Circular economy: supply chains, resource efficiency, innovation, education and awareness
- Green economy
- Blue economy
- Orange economy
- Data economy (AI, ML, Big Data, Cybersecurity)
Interdisciplinary proposals and ideas developed by mixed teams — for example, clinicians working with engineers, or researchers working with business students — are particularly encouraged.
Who can submit
- Students at any level, individually or in teams
- Researchers and academic staff with an idea they would like to take beyond the paper
- University spin-offs, startups and early-stage ventures
- SMEs, industry teams and corporate innovation units
- Public bodies, NGOs and social enterprises
- Incubators, accelerators and technology transfer offices submitting on behalf of their portfolio
There is no requirement to be affiliated with a CloudEARTHi partner institution, and no requirement that the idea be already funded, incorporated or protected.
Stages we accept
Please indicate which stage best describes your submission:
- Idea — a concept, identified problem and proposed approach
- Prototype / Proof of concept — something has been built or tested
- Pilot / Early traction — deployed with real users, patients, customers or partners
- Scaling — an operating venture or product seeking partners, markets or investment
What to submit
Submissions should be no longer than 800 words and should cover the following:
- Title of the project and the sub-theme(s) it addresses
- The problem — what need, gap or challenge does this respond to, and for whom
- The solution — what you propose to build, offer or change
- Deep tech and innovation component — what is technologically or methodologically novel
- Impact — expected benefit for health, wellbeing, sustainability, equity or the economy
- Stage and current status — see stages above; include what exists today
- Team — who is involved, their background and affiliation
- What you are looking for — partners, pilot sites, mentoring, funding, co-founders, feedback
Supporting material (a pitch deck of up to 10 slides, a short demo video, images or a link) may be attached and is optional.
Evaluation criteria
Submissions will be reviewed, against the following criteria:
- Relevance to the conference theme and sub-themes
- Novelty and the deep tech or innovation content
- Potential impact on health, wellbeing, sustainability and society
- Feasibility and clarity of the proposed next steps
- Team capacity and interdisciplinarity
- Inclusiveness, ethics and equity considerations
What selected projects receive
- A pitch slot in the dedicated innovation sessions at the conference, on site or online
- Structured feedback from a panel of academics, entrepreneurs, investors and public-sector representatives
- Visibility across the CloudEARTHi Alliance and its partner ecosystems
- Matchmaking with potential research partners, pilot hosts and collaborators
- Inclusion in the conference project catalogue
Important dates and deadlines
| Action | Date |
|---|---|
| Submission of project ideas (800 words max) | 18 September 2026 |
| Decision on submissions | 25 September 2026 |
| Final date for registration | 30 September 2026 |
| Conference days | 6–8 October 2026 |
Format, cost and practical information
To maximise impact and include all stakeholders, the conference is planned as a hybrid event. The hybrid format allows everyone to contribute regardless of a busy agenda or budget limitations. Registration allows for online or in-person participation. Conference registration and attendance are free of charge.
A note on confidentiality and intellectual property
Submitted material may be shared with reviewers and, if selected, presented and listed publicly. Please do not include confidential information, unpublished technical detail you intend to protect, or anything covered by a non-disclosure agreement. Describe what your idea does and why it matters, not how it works internally. All intellectual property remains with the submitting team.
How to submit
To submit a project idea, please go to the submission tool: https://conference.cloudearthi.com/submission/ — login is required. Please select the Innovation Projects and Ideas track.
To register for the conference, please go to the registration tool: Registration
We look forward to meeting you in October!