2015 COMMBEBIZ AWARD WINNERS SHOWCASE INNOVATION IN EUROPEAN BIOECONOMY RESEARCH

Bed sore prevention, remote-controlled livestock feed, sustainable energy from biogases and a portable pesticide detector; the winners of the 2015 CommBeBiz Awards are behind some of the most innovative ideas emerging from European bioeconomy research.

“We were looking for ambitious ideas with a unique value proposition clearly differentiated from alternatives already in the marketplace or public domain,” says Rhonda Smith, Co-ordinator of CommBeBiz; the EC-funded project working with bioeconomy researchers and their projects to enable effective and speedier transfer of knowledge to the marketplace, to policy-players and for social innovation.

At a presentation ceremony in Brussels last week, an independent international selection panel identified eight EC-funded research projects as the worthy winners of this year’s CommBeBiz Awards. Each project demonstrated the highest business or social innovation potential to address major challenges across food, health, agriculture and environment sectors.

The eight winners presented their projects at the EBN Congress in Brussels on 29th October to an audience of judges, industry experts, EBN’s special interest group and the media.

“Overall I was impressed with the quality of the applications. Some are very close to market, others are at an early concept stage with good potential”

Judge Richard Watson, an early stage investment specialist from Ireland, said, “Overall I was impressed with the quality of the applications. Some are very close to market, others are at an early concept stage with good potential.”

The 2015 CommBeBiz Award winners are:

• ATBEST: Biogas plant feasibility calculator – Ireland
• microBSP: micro-current device for the detection and prevention of bedsores- France
• CHEMANAGER: Solution for decreasing pesticide usage in agricultural processes – Hungary
• FOODSCAN: Portable, automated biosensor platform for contaminant detection – Germany
• PROteINSECT: enabling the exploitation of insects as a sustainable source of protein for animal feed – UK
• SMARTSILO: Collaborative platform to remotely control the compound feed stocks in livestock farms – Spain
• TREAT&USE: water treatment technology for agriculture – Spain
• VIZZATA: Online software to collect stakeholder opinion (from the FoodRisC project) – Ireland

Each project will now receive a tailored support package to help them reach their innovation goals, whatever their stage of research or development. Winners will be matched to innovation specialists who can help meet their projects’ needs. This prize will be delivered via EBN’s quality-certified BICS (business and innovation centres) – a community of professionals who support the development and growth of innovative entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises), enabling growth in the most effective, efficient and sustainable way.