In its fourth year, the competition saw 38 teams submit their entries for the first round, with a total of 124 participants vying for a spot on the shortlist. The participants were evenly split between rural areas (17 teams) and Budapest (21 teams). Most entries came from Budapest (17 teams), followed by Kecskemét (6 teams) and Szeged (3 teams).  The majority of teams consist of pairs, with an equal number of three-, four-, and five-member teams. Most participants – 75 of them to be precise – are ninth graders.

The ten teams that proceeded to the second round will now collaborate with MOME mentors to envision life, education, and leisure in space twenty years from now, developing concepts through an intensive multi-week mentorship process with pairs of mentors from the university’s students and faculty.  

Reflecting on the theme of space, the submissions include several projects modelling future living conditions, such as BOARDűr, Gene Bank, and Roboherbs, which focus on food production in space using floating gardens and plant-growing capsules.  Other projects address the need to find and develop new habitats due to a lost Earth, like the Life Bubble and the Űrkalandorok (Space Adventurers) teams. The Autofashion project envisions zero-waste fashion possibilities in such a new habitat, on an artificial planet. The Némó nyomában (Finding Nemo) project also deals with waste, space debris, and recycling issues. One team would like to foster a change in perspective through a boardgame – Ladder,  for example, would like to raise awareness of the severity of threats to our planet.

The teams have paid considerable attention to visual presentation, with many of them creating animated short films to accompany their stories and developing a visual identity for their envisioned products in the first round.

The finalist projects will be showcased on 26 June at the Finale as part of an exhibition, where the top three projects will be announced.  

After the 2021 competition, the jury is once again chaired by Rector and animation filmmaker Prof. Dr. József Fülöp, while jury members include design and visual arts teacher and head of the MA programme Judit Bényei, and former grand prize winner and current MOME student Luca Gátos. New members joining this year are clinical and educational psychologist and university professor Prof. Dr. Éva Gyarmathy, and head of the Mobility Design Lab and design teacher Dániel Ruppert.

Senior researcher at the MTA Institute of Psychology and counsellor in schools for gifted children unable to adapt to public education Prof. Dr. Éva Gyarmathy is also involved in international projects researching methods to enhance thinking and learning efficiency. She believes that the Jump into the Future! competition helps shape the future, noting that from adolescence, individuals mature into designing at a societal level, which means young people today are capable of truly innovative approaches.   She added, "I hope that through the creative process, participants can express their emotions, identify pathways, problems, and possibly solutions, bringing the great leap closer to us”.  

What motivates Dániel Ruppert to participate in the jury is enjoying being around creative thinkers, learning from them, and allowing their influence to impact him. “I am most delighted by fresh, unexpected works that push boundaries yet present a consistent narrative”, he said when asked about the competition, adding "As a designer and concept art enthusiast, I often draw inspiration from space-related stories, vehicles, and visual culture”. The Red Dot award-winning designer and former MOME student works at his own design business as a designer in addition to teaching.  He has collaborated with the Mercedes-Benz and EvoBus design studios, designed complex systems for a transportation planning company, and currently works on strategic development projects at the Ustory studio.