Official Rules

By submitting a proposal, participants agree to abide by the official rules, as well as, the decisions made by the judging panel, which are final.

1. Program Period

The Open Innovation challenge will start on March 10th, 2025 . All proposal submissions must be completed by May 5th, 2025 The evaluation process will take place throughout May and June 2025, during which Metalsa may reach out to select participants for additional information. In June 2025, shortlisted candidates will be notified and invited to initiate engagement with Metalsa.

2. Eligibility

The Open Innovation challenge is open to participants; either as an individual or as an organization. Individuals must be at least eighteen (18) years old and with full legal capacity. Organizations, either as a business or academic entity, can submit more than one proposal. All participants must provide valid contact information.
This challenge is not open to employees of Metalsa and members of their families
Participation in the open innovation challenge is free of charge
Before submitting a proposal, you will be asked to indicate that you have read the Official Rules and that you agree with them
Metalsa may at its sole discretion, remove or disqualify any submission and participant it deems inappropriate or non-compliant

3. Challenge Topics And Submission Criteria

Metalsa, a global leader in manufacturing automotive components specializing in chassis structures for light and commercial vehicles, is seeking innovative corrosion protection solutions. We aim to develop a passive cathodic protection method for the automotive industry that utilizes replaceable sacrificial anodes. This approach would complement existing protection methods, such as galvanized steel and e-coat protection, by providing an additional layer of defense against corrosion. Proposals should focus on designing a practical and efficient sacrificial anode system tailored for automotive applications.

Corrosion is a serious concern for the automotive industry. Beyond aesthetic and economic concerns, loss of function due to corrosion can lead to unsafe scenarios. Passive cathodic corrosion is a method widely used in marine vessels, oil pipes, and others. The key piece of this method is the use of sacrificial anodes that corrode instead of the structural metal. Once the anodes are exhausted, they can be replaced by new ones, which is desirable for the automotive industry to prolong the duration of corrosion protection for at least 15 years.

Business objective to achieve: Develop a competitive advantage against our main competitors by extending the life of the automotive structural components (frame and subframe).

Previously attempted solutions

Currently, corrosion protection on frames is implemented with the use of galvanized steel and e-coat. Both methods involve the addition of a protective layer, e-coat prevents corrosion by serving as insulation between the substrate and the electrolyte. On the other hand, in galvanized steel the zinc layer acts as sacrificial anode, effectively establishing a cathodic protection system, like sacrificial anodes in ships, but with the disadvantage that once the zinc layer oxidizes, it cannot be replaced by a new one.

Discarded solutions

So far, the project is in an exploratory stage, thus there are no discarded solutions.

Requirements:

Must have

Compatible with current e-coat and powder coat technology
Anodes should not significantly increase weight of the vehicle
Solution must have a low impact on the LCA ( Life Cycles Assessment ) of the automotive structures.
Low environmental impact
TRL level: Solution should be beyond TRL level 4 ( Laboratory Testing/Validation of Prototype Component/Process )

Nice to have

The sacrificial anodes must be replaceable
Solution must be cost effective

Key elements to include in your proposal

Propose the material of the sacrificial anodes
Propose the material of the sacrificial anodes Determine strategic zones of the automotive structural components for implementation of sacrificial anodes
Propose a simple system for replacement of exhausted anodes
Propose validation methodologies
Evaluate compatibility with current paint (e.g. e-coat, powder coat) based protection processes.
Asses compatibility of the solution with products of Light Vehicles and Commercial Vehicles
You can include simulations and 3D modelling to ehance your proposal

4. Award Categories

Submit your proposal for an exciting opportunity to collaborate with Metalsa and shape the future of innovation together.

If the project results in new intellectual property (IP), joint-patent applications will be considered, along with Metalsa’s support for IP generation.

Our Research Collaboration Model is designed to accommodate both academic institutions (universities) and private research organizations. Metalsa is open to exploring a variety of partnership models, tailored to the development stage of the proposed technology.

Research Collaboration – Metalsa will work together with universities or research institutes; within the framework of financing for undergraduate thesis, contract research, proposals for external funding or providing access to industry equipment.
Joint-development – Metalsa and participant can work together to share technologies, develop or enhance their products, combine or integrate their technologies, or jointly commercialize a new product.
Licensing – A business arrangement in which the participant shall give Metalsa permission to manufacture its product for a specific royalty fee with exclusivity.

5. Proposal Submission

All proposals must be submitted completed on https://metalsaopeninnovationchallenge.innoget.com by May 5th, 2025
All participants must register online and agree on the Open Innovation Challenge Official Rules, Terms and Conditions and Data Privacy regulation before their proposals are accepted. An acknowledgement email will be provided within 24 hours after a successful submission.

We recommend including the following NON - CONFIDENTIAL information in your proposal

Detailed description of your proposal including the following:
- Propose the material of the sacrificial anodes
- Determine strategic zones of the automotive structural components for implementation of sacrificial anodes
- Propose a simple system for replacement of exhausted anodes
- Propose validation methodologies
- Evaluate compatibility with current paint (e.g. e-coat, powder coat) based protection processes.
- Assess compatibility of the solution with products of Light Vehicles and Commercial Vehicles
- You can include simulations and 3D modelling to enhance your proposal
Stage of development ( explaining the TRL level of your solution
Commercial information ( market studies, trial data and efficacy data that backs up the potential of your solution
IP status ( Granted patent, non patented, patent already applied for, other forms of protection)
Additional attachments

6. Review Process

Metalsa reserves the sole discretion to evaluate proposals and select winners.

The evaluation process will take place throughout May and June 2025, during which Metalsa may reach out to select participants for additional information. In June 2025, shortlisted candidates will be notified and invited to initiate engagement with Metalsa.

The process may vary depending on the specifics of each proposal and the stage of technology development, as determined solely by Metalsa. This may include introductory discussions, the signing of an NDA, further technical disclosures to assess feasibility, and the potential development of a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to outline contributions, intellectual property (IP) division, timelines, experiments, and budget allocation.

7. Applicable Law

These Open Innovation Challenge Official Rules and thus your use of participation in the Metalsa Open Innovation Challenge shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Mexico and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts and Tribunals of Mexico.