The Hague, June 11th — The national final of the Bio-based Student Innovation Challenge – Europe (BISC-E) took place during the prestigious World Bio Markets event in The Hague. This exciting competition showcased innovative student projects focused on advancing the bioeconomy, with the Dutch finalist ultimately earning the chance to represent the Netherlands at the European level.
Six talented Dutch student teams competed fiercely for the title, with the winner receiving a €1,000 prize and the honor of representing the Netherlands in the upcoming European finals. The European competition will see winners from various nations compete for the ultimate accolade.
Meet the Dutch Finalists:
– Team BioCreate: Developed a bio-based alternative for hydroseeding, replacing traditional plastic-based polyacrylamide (PAM).
– Team CIRBIO: Produced spherical bacterial cellulose (SBC) to support the use of the high-cost enzyme lipase.
– Team CyanO2: Proposed a bioreactor leveraging cyanobacteria to naturally capture CO₂ from the atmosphere.
– Team Sea to Skin (S2S): Working on replacing synthetic UV protection in skincare products with natural carotenoids derived from brown seaweed.
– Team Bio-Ad: Created a biodegradable, bio-based adhesive for packaging to replace petrochemical-based glues.
– Team UreMan: Developed an organic solution using fermented whey permeate to reduce nitrogen emissions on livestock farms.
The jury, composed of industry and academic experts—including Kirsten Herben-Steinbusch (BioBased Circulair), Maddalena Eloisa Logrieco (MNEXT), Harald Ruijssenaars (Corbion), and Li Shen (Utrecht University)—carefully evaluated each team’s report and pitch. Their deliberation resulted in the selection of the top three teams:
Team UreMan – Wageningen University & Research
Team BioCreate – Avans Hogeschool, Universiteit Leiden, and Wageningen University & Research
Team Sea to Skin (S2S) – Wageningen University & Research
Congratulations to all participating teams for their innovative ideas, dedication, and courage to present their work on stage. Special congratulations to Team S2S for their outstanding project, which will now represent the Netherlands at the European finals.
A special thank you to World Bio Markets for providing an excellent venue and fostering a valuable networking environment for students and industry professionals alike.
The Dutch BISC-E is organized by BioBased Circular, Avans Hogeschool, Wageningen University & Research, and WUR Student Challenges, supporting the next generation of bioeconomy innovators.
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