Submissions open for ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2025

They’re seeking groundbreaking chemistry or chemical technology innovations that tackle climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Focus Areas

• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in chemical production:
  • Use of renewable energy sources for energy supply in chemical transformations, incl. electrochemical conversions, Power-to-X technologies, photocatalytic processes, green hydrogen
  • Substitution of fossil feedstock by non-food biomass/waste organic material and conversion to chemicals and materials
  • Chemical conversions using CO2 as feedstock (CCU) and carbon capture technologies providing CO2 as feedstock, incl. also Direct Air Capture
  • Chemical production technologies decreasing CO2 emissions by minimizing energy use
  • Easy to implement selective catalytic/non-catalytic reduction technologies for nitrous oxide in chemical production plants
  • Mitigation technologies for other GHGs in chemical production processes
• GHG mitigation through chemistry and biotechnology solutions:
  • Chemistry-based materials with superior energy-efficiency, effectively reducing (scope 4) CO2 emissions in other sectors (construction, transport etc.)
  • Mitigation of nitrous oxide from fertilized cropping systems
  • Mitigation technologies for methane emissions in agriculture (ruminants) or municipal solid waste landfills
  • High-performance alternatives to fluorinated gases with high global warming potential (hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride
• Chemistry-based climate change adaptation technologies:
  • Innovation in desalination techniques and recycling of wastewater to ensure sustainable freshwater supplies
  • Chemical solutions for retaining water for agriculture in arid areas
  • Soil Carbon Sequestration: Enhancing soil’s capacity to capture and store carbon, improving soil health and reducing the impacts of climate change on food production.
  • Heat-Resilient Building Materials, e.g. chemistry-based materials for indoor climate regulation in buildings, e.g. building insulation materials, phase change materials, reflective surfaces, etc.

Benefits

• Five finalists will receive:
  • Tailored support: access to Global Start-up Service Customised Support
  • Visibility: promotion of your innovation via ISC3 communication channels
  • Networking: participation in the Investor Forum 2025
  • Training: individual and group pitch training for preparation of your Investor Forum 2025 pitch
• Cash prizes: the overall Innovation Challenge Winner will receive a cash prize of 15,000 EUR. The two separate categories “Best Social Impact” and “Best Regional Impact” OR “Special Impact” are endowed with cash prizes amounting to 5,000 EUR each.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible are all innovators and entrepreneurs, i.e., persons owning or representing the proposed innovation, employed by organisations including research institutes, start-ups, small-medium sized enterprises, or comparable institutions active in the development and realisation of sustainable chemistry solutions.
• Enterprises participating in the challenge shall have a staff headcount not exceeding 50 (full time equivalent) and an annual turnover of max. 10 million Euro.
• Enterprises majority-owned by large enterprises are not eligible for the award, except for innovations leading to the creation of independent spin-offs.
• Proposals submitted by innovators and entrepreneurs from developing countries and tackling challenges in developing countries are considered as particularly important. Female entrepreneurs are specifically encouraged to submit a proposal.

Assessment Criteria

• The proposals will be assessed against the three main criteria:
  • Innovation level. Is the innovation unique, distinct, and truly original?
  • Business viability. What is the market potential of the innovation? Is the idea commercially feasible?
  • Sustainability. What is the sustainability impact of the innovation?

For more information, visit ISC3.