01 – Vision
Bridges are more than structures of concrete and steel - they are critical enablers of mobility, resilience, and economic stability for rail and road transport. As many bridges approach the end of their originally calculated service life in the coming years, the challenge is no longer whether action is needed, but how intelligently and sustainably it can be taken. Through continuous, data‑driven condition monitoring, the service life of both existing and newly built bridges can be significantly extended. The integration of diverse measurement parameters opens the door to a deeper understanding of structural behavior and real‑world usage. Yet, proven technologies are not always economically viable – sometimes due to limited competition – while emerging solutions must still prove their reliability and scalability in real operation.
With the Bridge Monitoring Challenge 2026, DB InfraGO and Autobahn des Bundes GmbH create a collaborative space for external experts to work on four concrete use cases, accelerating the transition from innovative monitoring technologies to practical application—unlocking the potential to safeguard and extend the service life of hundreds of bridges across Germany.
I am not a startup, but your application form is focused on startups?
Usually, DB mindbox works as bridge between startups and DB. In this bridge monitoring challenge with specifically encourage all company stages to participate. Any fields of the form that do not fit your situation please just answer with a most fitting or random answer.
Participate as a consortium
Are you looking for a partner to apply as a consortium for our Bridge Monitoring Challenge? Write us an e-mail and we invite you to our marketplace where you can connect with potential collaborators for your solution proposal.
02– Use Cases
To support safer, more efficient, and more scalable bridge monitoring, we are looking for innovative solutions that improve the detection of structural damage, simplify sensor deployment, enable reliable data transmission, and ensure autonomous energy supply. The goal is to make monitoring systems more economical, robust, and practical for widespread use across existing bridge infrastructure.
03 – Selection Process
The Bridge Monitoring Challenge is organized as a multi-stage process. The goal of the challenge is to determine the best project of each use case to start an extended project phase.
All applications will be evaluated by DB.
The teams with the highest ratings will be invited to the concept challenge days, which will be 7 days and include a site visit if useful.
During these days, the participating teams will receive detailed information about the use case, including framework conditions and civil engineering knowledge from our DB and Autobahn experts. Together with the Autobahn and DB experts, they will be able to deal with certain aspects of the required framework conditions in order to develop their concept for the development of the solution.
All teams will present their concept for the upcoming work phase, including information on the planned procedure such as sensor technology, measured values, installation, etc. A jury of DB experts will select one to two teams with the highest rating to enter the work phase.
This will be followed by a two-month work phase in which the teams will work on their concepts. These two months are a stretched out challenge phase to support the long-term nature of measurements – capacity allocation is individually chosen. There will be a mandatory status meeting (remote) and mandatory touchpoints (remote) for further exchange with DB experts on a regular basis.
The teams will present their results on a Demo-Day live in Berlin. The presentation will take place as part of a workshop format with a jury of DB InfraGO and Autobahn experts.
04 - Key Questions about the Bridge Monitoring Challenge
I am not a startup, but your application form is focused on startups?
Usually, DB mindbox works as bridge between startups and DB. In this bridge monitoring challenge with specifically encourage all company stages to participate. Any fields of the form that do not fit your situation please just answer with a most fitting or random answer.
Can we also participate in this challenge as a consortium?
Yes, we encourage you to participate together with partners. One company must apply as the lead applicant and act as the single contractual partner. All other participating companies should be listed as partners, and any collaboration details must be arranged contractually among the partners themselves.
Are you looking for a partner to apply as a consortium for our Bridge Monitoring Challenge? Write us an e-mail and we invite you to our marketplace where you can connect with potential collaborators for your solution proposal.
Is the maximum number of companies applying for a consortium limited to 8?
You may apply with as many companies as you think is useful. The one-time payment is limited, however, and does not increase proportionally with the number of companies involved.
How do we apply as a consortium? Is only one application required per consortium?
Yes, only one application should be submitted per consortium. Simply list the name of each participant in the application field "Company Name". Please do not be discouraged by the form structure, as it is originally designed for startups. Complete it in the way that best reflects how your consortium is organized.
What do you mean by “applying with partial solutions”?
It is our assessment that the use case solutions may be divided into distinct modules, which collectively will contribute to addressing the challenge. If your technology fits as part of a larger solution but lacks other components, apply anyway – we may be able to supply what's missing from our experts' resources.
Which language do you prefer for the submission?
English or German are both completely fine. Go with the language you feel most confident using.
What distinguishes a strong application from a weak one—is the evaluation based more on technology maturity or concept innovation?
A purely blank-slate idea is not relevant. The concept may still have some development needs, but the focus tends to be on technological maturity.
Will there be a separate networking opportunity so I can connect with possible consortium partners?
After the application process, we will be able to connect you with possible partners. Please indicate in your application which part of the concept you need support with. Before the application deadline, there may also be an online matching event, but this is subject to confirmation.
What types of bridges will this challenge cover?
Steel bridges and pre-stressed bridges.
Can international companies also take part in a consortium?
Of course. We are looking for international solutions.
What should be included in the presentation, and how long should it be?
Your presentation should provide an overview of your company and your product, and explain how your product could help solve the challenge. There is no explicit length requirement.
What technology/sensors are currently in use?
B 210: Guide – Strategic Use of Monitoring for Engineering StructuresYou can assume that these monitoring technologies are used by the contractors as needed.
What requirements apply to data synchronization in multi-sensor setups? Specifically, is a shared time base (e.g. GPS-synchronized, IEEE 1588 PTP) required, or is event-based synchronization sufficient?
We assume that a shared time base is required for our use cases. However, if you can achieve strong results with event-based synchronization, we are also open to that.
What requirements apply to the interoperability of heterogeneous measurement data (e.g. DFOS + Acoustic Emission + strain measurement) in a common data model?
Currently, no binding requirements for interoperability of heterogeneous measurement data in a common data model are known.
As an addition to the question about existing interfaces: Are there any database-side requirements for data formats and transmission protocols (e.g. FIWARE, IEC standards), or are applicants free to choose?
This is still being clarified. We will provide an answer at the latest during the challenge kickoff.
What bandwidth should the sensors have?
There are no specific requirements. The noise should be minimized.
We have a spin-off in Germany that has not yet been founded. Should we apply with the spin-off or with our parent company?
The contract will need to be signed by an existing legal entity. Do apply with your parent company and mention your spin-off in the application.
Do Autobahn and DB have the same use cases? Are they evaluated equally?
We have defined the four use cases to address the key challenges currently faced by both parties. The selection of participants and who enters in the challenge phases will be decided by DB and Autobahn.
Will we receive more information about the use cases during the Challenge Week?
We have defined the four use cases to address the key challenges currently faced by both parties. The selection of participants and who enters in the challenge phases will be decided by DB and Autobahn.
Is the challenge limited to retrofitting bridges, or does it also include integrating sensors into newly built structures?
The scope of this challenge is focused exclusively on equipping existing bridges with sensors.
Are research institutions allowed to apply?
Yes, also research institutions are welcomed to apply!
05 – Financial Support
Participants receive a compensation of 1.500 € for participating in the challenge week. Participating consortia will be compensated higher but not linearly. The winner of the challenge week will proceed to the work phase which is about 2 months and serves to get first results in. Participants receive a compensation of 4.500 € for participating in the work phase. In total we are aiming to comply with legal regulations on public spending enabling us to procure up to EUR 400k from each successful applicant.
The winning teams will win participation in a follow-up-phase incl.
- Exclusive access to experts, data, markets and customers of Deutsche Bahn
- Up to 25,000 euros in funding – without giving up company shares
- Exclusive access to a selected network of coaching and mentoring experts
- Personal support from a dedicated DB mindbox startup manager as an interface to the world of Deutsche Bahn & Autobahn
- Optional: Working in our coworking space in the center of Berlin with 24/7 access
Timeline
07 June – Application deadline
Last day to apply for the program (eob.)
17 June – Announcement of candidates
Invitation of selected teams is expected to take place on June 17, 2026
03 - 09 July – Remote Challenge Week
06 July – Onsite Challenge Day
09 July – Final Presentation & Winner Announcement
From 27 July until approx. 20 September – Work phase
September – Demo Day
Final date tbd
October – Start Extended Project Phase
Final date tbd
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