# Neurochallenge – Brain health solutions with a national innovation competition

> The Olvi Foundation Neurochallenge innovation competition was organized on November 3-5, 2023, in the heart of the Savonia campus, bringing together diverse experts to create solutions for the brain health of the aging population.

## Event Overview
The Olvi Foundation Neurochallenge took place from November 3–5, 2023, at the Savonia campus. Over 50 participants—including researchers, entrepreneurs, students, and individuals—spent 48 hours developing solutions to promote better brain health for the aging population. Teams were supported by a facilitated innovation process and expert mentors.

The event featured 9 presented solutions, with 4 receiving honorary mentions and 2 receiving awards from a 20,000 € prize pool. Key themes included predictive well-being, automation, artificial intelligence, and user interface design.

## The Jury
The competition was judged by:
* **Eero Rissanen**, Director, Neurocenter Finland
* **Seppo Teräslahti**, Crisis Worker, Kuopio Crisis Center
* **Miriam Nokia**, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä

### Evaluation Criteria
* **The novelty:** How new and different the solution is compared to existing options.
* **Feasibility:** Whether the idea can be realistically put into action.
* **The impact:** The positive change or benefit the innovation brings to people, society, or brain health.

## Competition Winners
### 1st Place (12,000 €): Team avanto / Memory support application
* **Team members:** Kaj Koivunen (JYU, Software developer), Juho Seppänen (UEF, Software developer), Artturi Suominen (UEF, Software developer), Valtteri Roinila (UEF, Business and science analyst)
* **Idea:** An AI-powered application aiding memory disorder patients by addressing care challenges through novel technical solutions.

### 2nd Place (8,000 €): NeuroNinjas / Wearable Biomarker and EEG Device
* **Team members:** Kaustubh (AIVI, UEF, Mental health), Shekhar (AIVI, UEF, Neurological disorders and Molecular genetics), Aidan (Technical physics, UEF Physics and Algorithm Development), Kanishka (AIVI, UEF, Electrophysiology), Alex (Social Science, UEF, Ethics and Laws), Melika (Innovation Management, UEF, Stakeholder and Innovation Management)
* **Idea:** A wearable skin patch using a microneedle array and EEG to gather high-accuracy sleep data from end-users.

## Honorary Mentions
* **Synaptic Solutions / Cogni-circle:** Support and training for family caregivers to reduce stress and improve dementia patient care.
* **Obesity Curiosity:** A 3D cell culture human disease model to study hunger-satiety regulation in the brain, offering expert services to pharmaceutical companies.

## Participating Teams
* **NeuroCare:** An application for early-stage diagnosis of neurodiseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s) providing remote treatment plans and AI-driven well-being suggestions.
* **RecallAId:** An AI-powered cognitive companion to monitor patients with neurological disorders.
* **Team Brainiacs:** Non-invasive monitoring of employee stress with actionable mitigation suggestions.
* **Audicin:** AI-personalized brain health program using brainwave activation to prevent cognitive impairment in the 42–65 age group.
* **Team Dash – Luotsi:** A platform empowering families to utilize health data to help seniors live brain-healthy lives at home.

## Organizers and Partners
The event was organized in cooperation with:
* Neurocenter Finland
* Savonia University of Applied Sciences
* University of Eastern Finland
* Business Center Pohjois-Savo

## Contact Information
* **Matti Laitinen**, Event facilitator, Business Center Pohjois-Savo: matti.laitinen@savonia.fi, +358 44 785 6333
* **Antti Kotimaa**, Event facilitator, Savonia University of Applied Sciences: antti.kotimaa@savonia.fi, +358 44 7856449
* **Eero Rissanen**, Director, Neurocenter Finland: eero.rissanen@uef.fi, +358 50 433 5008
* **Kaisa Unkila**, Head of Services, Neurocenter Finland: kaisa.unkila@uef.fi

**Websites:**
* [Neurocenter Finland](https://neurocenterfinland.fi/)
* [Business Center Pohjois-Savo](https://www.bcpohjois-savo.fi/)
* [Olvi Foundation](https://www.olvisaatio.fi/)