Please feel free to contact us at challenge@sprind.org.
The challenge: to develop an end-to-end prototype that processes various carbonaceous waste streams into new products as a continuous bioproduction process.
Your Challenge:
Circular Biomanufacturing
Hello people with radical new ideas!
We need breakthrough innovations to convert waste streams directly into new products. Local. Environmentally friendly. Sustainable. We need bold ideas. We need you.
Until now, our manufacturing processes have almost entirely been based on the use of newly, mined raw materials with not enough coming from the recycling of waste streams. This places an enormous burden on the environment and our society. In addition, dependencies remain in global supply chains that could be reduced through access to local materials.
Instead, we can create a circular economy in which new products are manufactured locally, using valorized waste streams as a source for raw materials, to build more sustainable and resilient production platforms.
To achieve this, biomanufacturing processes must be developed to market maturity and directly integrated with modern production processes. Scientific advances in recent years have produced new findings and methods that can significantly increase the performance of biomanufacturing processes and open up new application possibilities. Although alternative ways of producing a wide range of products to replace the conventional petrochemical or chemical manufacturing processes have gone to market, breakthroughs have so far only been achieved in niche applications. We need to reach the goal where the majority of bulk products are made through biomanufacturing processes that enable the use of locally available raw materials.
Instead, we can create a circular economy in which new products are manufactured locally, using valorized waste streams as a source for raw materials, to build more sustainable and resilient production platforms.
To achieve this, biomanufacturing processes must be developed to market maturity and directly integrated with modern production processes. Scientific advances in recent years have produced new findings and methods that can significantly increase the performance of biomanufacturing processes and open up new application possibilities. Although alternative ways of producing a wide range of products to replace the conventional petrochemical or chemical manufacturing processes have gone to market, breakthroughs have so far only been achieved in niche applications. We need to reach the goal where the majority of bulk products are made through biomanufacturing processes that enable the use of locally available raw materials.
The prototype must demonstrate how carbonaceous waste streams can be processed and fed to microbes as food. The overall bioproduction process shall not use E. Coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae and shall demonstrate continuous production over a period of at least 180 days during the Challenge. At the end of the process, at least three different products should be produced using a modern manufacturing process, such as additive manufacturing.
We support:
Breakthrough innovations
The Challenge runs over a three-year period. A panel of globally recognized experts will assist SPRIND in evaluating the applications and select up to eight teams to participate. During the Challenge period, teams further develop their bioproduction technology to achieve the Challenge goal.
Teams participating in this Challenge are fully challenged. SPRIND therefore provides intensive and individual support. This includes funding the teams with up to €1.5 million in Stage 1 of the Challenge. In order to unleash the full potential, SPRIND also provides a coach to accompany each team's work, advise them and network them. After one year and after two years, the jury reconvenes in each case to evaluate the interim status and decide which approaches have the greatest breakthrough innovation potential and which teams can prove themselves in the Challenge until the end.
Teams participating in this Challenge are fully challenged. SPRIND therefore provides intensive and individual support. This includes funding the teams with up to €1.5 million in Stage 1 of the Challenge. In order to unleash the full potential, SPRIND also provides a coach to accompany each team's work, advise them and network them. After one year and after two years, the jury reconvenes in each case to evaluate the interim status and decide which approaches have the greatest breakthrough innovation potential and which teams can prove themselves in the Challenge until the end.
The competition
This Challenge gives innovators the space to develop and implement new biomanufacturing concepts. Up to eight teams will compete for the best approach. Detailed information can be found in the call for submissions and the participation agreement.
FAQ
The Challenge is not restrictive in terms of the waste streams used. In addition to solid organic waste streams, the utilization of gas streams, for example, is not fundamentally excluded. However, the focus is on waste streams that have not been addressed or are difficult to access so far. The final prototype should be flexible and capable of operating using various waste streams/feedstocks.
The Challenge is only restrictive in the following aspects regarding the biotechnological processes used: 1. The process must enable continuous production of the synthesis product. 2. The use of E. Coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains is excluded. A microbial or cell-free process can be employed.
The Challenge is not restrictive regarding the manufacturing processes used. However, individualization of the end products in the form of variant manufacturing must be possible.
The Challenge is not restrictive regarding the end products used. The selection of end products should illustrate the potential range and, if applicable, the platform nature of the technologies employed. The products from the biological process must be used in a form of advanced/additive manufacturing.
The project must have reached a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3 at the start of the Challenge. You can refer to the Biomanufacturing Readiness Levels for guidance: https://academic.oup.com/jimb/article/49/5/kuac022/6712705. Please note that basic research will not be funded.
All Challenge teams are in close contact with SPRIND and the coaching team during the course of the challenge. This ensures a targeted innovation process in which emerging hurdles can be identified and addressed at an early stage. Teams must demonstrate that the minimum requirements of the call have been met by submitting stage reports. Furthermore, no detailed statements on the use of funding are required.
The target values for Stage 1 represent the minimum that must be achieved to be considered for Stage 2.
All expenses that serve to achieve the Challenge goal can be financed with SPRIND funds. This can include, for example, personnel costs, equipment and materials or rent.
Applications by project consortia are permissible. The leading consortium partner must be identifiable as the sole contracting partner with SPRIND and have its headquarters in the European Union, European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the United Kingdom, or Israel.
The intellectual property rights created by the teams during the Challenge remain with the teams. SPRIND receives a free and non-exclusive right to use the results found. The teams undertake to grant licences to third parties at standard market conditions. Details can be found in the Participation agreement which will be published alongside the Call for Submissions.
SPRIND is committed to supporting innovators in implementing breakthrough innovations. If SPRIND identifies breakthrough innovation potential in the teams during the Challenge, their work can continue to be supported after the Challenge has ended.
An expert team from SPRIND will make an initial selection from the received applications. The final decision on admission to the Challenge will be made on the basis of the application and the pitch in front of a jury of scientists, industry experts and investors. The pitch days are scheduled to take place at the end of October 2023 in Leipzig.
The application deadline is September 17, 2023, at midnight CET (Central European Time).
Do you have further questions?
Jano Costard, Challenge Officer