LignEasy
Project description
LignEasy is the first sulfuric acid-free, low-impact lignin recovery system for pulp mills. The system fits any kraft pulp mill without disrupting chemical balance or productivity.
A revolutionary understanding of the colloidal behavior of kraft lignin enables the use of novel filtration-based purification, at the same time reducing the pulp mill’s sulfate emissions without causing H2S emissions.
Objectives
The project aims to carry out the following:
- Process will be integrated into pulp mills’ production system
- Pulp mills side stream is utilized to produce lignin
- Lignin is sold to the chemical industry as biobased feed
The LignEasy product’s benefit is its high suitability for several end-product use cases as the product can be chemically modified.
A flagship application has already been demonstrated: phenolic resin e.g for plywood manufacturing.
The product is scalable to applications in the chemical, fertilizer industry and packaging industries, and multiple more to be demonstrated.
Links
Key Figures
- The total budget is 2,9 M€
- The grant is 2M€
- The schedule is (9/2023 – 8/2025)
SuperDryer
Innovation
Finnish innovator TM Systems Oy has received a funding boost to complete the development of Super Dryer, a breakthrough clean fibre drying system to reduce energy use and GHG emissions in paper production, and later in sludge processing and textile recycling.
User Needs and Benefits
Paper and packaging production is a highly polluting, energy intensive and heat-wasting sector. It accounts for 4% of global energy use and 1% of CO2 emissions. The sector must cut CO2 by 40% by 2030. Current dirty pulp dryers use fossil fuel, waste 60% of heat, and release 70% of particles. Massive quantities of recyclable paper are burnt or landfilled due to a lack of processing capacity.
Companies are demanding new efficient fibre drying systems to boost capacity while cutting emissions. SuperDryer meets these challenges. It reduces fibre drying energy use, recaptures heat, and stops particle emissions.
Project Goals and Results
SuperDryer will be the first fibre dryer to integrate renewable energy inputs, cutting GHGs to zero. It uses a patented closed-loop heat and moisture recapture system to recover 100% of heat, stop 80% of airborne emissions, and reduce energy use by 25% compared to existing dirty driers.
This project will develop the first full-scale SuperDryer prototype in a working pulp mill, scale up production, prepare commercialisation, and launch the technology, with significant energy cost savings for users and GHG reductions. Initial customers will be pulp and paper mills and recyclers, with several interested buyers. Future customers will be municipal and industrial sludge processors, and textile recyclers.
The objectives are:
- Dimension and design a full-scale SuperDryer prototype
- Manufacture, install and optimize the prototype on site
- Scale up production to meet sales targets
- Obtain regulatory certification
- Prepare for product launch and sales
Key Figures
- The total budget is 11.5 million €
- The EIC grant and investment is 7.5 million €
- The schedule is 2022 – 2025
Links
FS MARINE+: Hydrogen synthgas injection unit for ships to save fuel and cut emissions
Innovation
German cleantech innovator Fuelsave GmbH has received a funding boost to complete the development of FS MARINE+, that is the world’s first hydrogen-powered engine assistant unit for shipping vessels. The patented hydrogen generator produces a proprietary synthetic gas that is injected into a ship’s engines to significantly improve combustion efficiency.
User Needs and Benefits
The vital maritime transport sector is large and growing, but at the same time, it must reduce the ecological impact from its highly polluting heavy fuel, which contributes 2.2% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The European Commission (EC) has set a goal of reducing maritime CO2 emissions by 40% by 2050.
Shipping companies are struggling to reduce fuel costs and to stay profitable. Fuel comprises 50-60% of all shipping industry expenses and maritime bunker fuel prices are rising quickly. Shipping companies must invest in energy efficiency measures, at a time when their financial capacity to do so is limited. In addition, diesel-powered marine engines suffer from very poor fuel efficiency due to their high operating temperatures and slow combustion. A significant proportion of energy produced is wasted due to inefficient engine operation.
FS MARINE+ technology has been proven to:
- Reduce net fuel consumption by at least 10%.
- Cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by at least 10%.
- Cut nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions by at least 50%.
- Save at least 33% on engine maintenance costs
The customizable unit can be installed on any vessel and amortized within three years, making FS MARINE+ the most viable technology for improving the global shipping industry’s environmental and economic challenges.
Project Goals and Results
The project goal is to complete development and commercialize the FS MARINE+ technology for global markets.
Key Figures
- The total budget is 2.3 million €.
- The grant is 1.6 million €
- The schedule is 2018 – 2020.
Links
RePack: Reusable packaging as a service for e-commerce
Innovation
Finnish innovator Plan B From Outer Space Oy has received a funding boost to complete the development of RePack, a reusable packaging service and loyalty program for e-commerce, whereby delivery packages can be conveniently and easily returned, and then reused.
User Needs and Benefits
Online retail is on the rise in the EU but so is the amount of packaging thrown away. Only half of the packaging material is recycled. As a result, e-commerce packaging is unpacking a huge problem.
RePack is delivered as a service, where webstores pay a cycle fee, covering the cost of the package and prepaid empty returns. Empty packaging is returned to a RePack hub, where packages are checked, cleaned and redistributed back to the webstores. RePack includes a support service, where end-users can be rewarded for taking part with vouchers, charity donations or deposits.
RePack simply replaces single-use delivery packaging with a reusable and returnable solution. It is proven to work on pilot scale with over 50 web-stores in 14 countries and is a concrete solution to reduce packaging trash in e-commerce.
Project Goals and Results
The key objective of the project is to reduce the cost per delivery of the RePack sustainable solution from 2,0 eur to 0,50 eur to compete with current unsustainable alternatives. This is enabled through establishing a new returns channel and by scaling RePack to 100.000 weekly deliveries by fully automating all aspects of the service.
The service is cost-effective and already tested on a small-scale in an operational environment. The project expects its RePack solution to replace single-use packaging all together.
Key Figures
- The total budget is 1.7 million €
- The grant is 1.2 million €
- The schedule is 2019 – 2021
Links
CardioSignal: Breakthrough app to detect cardiac abnormalities, prevent stroke and heart attacks
Innovation
Finnish innovator Precordior Oy has received a funding boost to complete the development of CardioSignal, a smartphone app to detect heart conditions and save lives. The first app able to identify atrial fibrillation (AFib), heart failure (HF) and coronary artery disease (CAD) – all without extra hardware.
User Needs and Benefits
The CardioSignal app allows people at risk of cardiac conditions to monitor their heart function daily in the comfort of their home on their smartphone, without any additional hardware. Users place their phone on their chest for 60 seconds daily. The app measures chest vibrations, analyses the data in the cloud, and informs users of their heart health status. Patients detected with critical symptoms are directed to seek medical attention. CardioSignal will reduce cardiac screening costs and save lives.
Project Goals and Results
The goal of the project is to develop a new product with combined AFib, CAD and HF detection, and prepare to commercialize the product across Europe, USA and China.
The objectives are optimization of the breakthrough technology, receiving validations and certifications in new markets, securing deals with pharmacy and pharmaceutical partners, and the introduction of the product to key markets.
The expected outcome is a commercially well established CardioSignal app and online platform for identifying AFib, CAD and HF that will be launched in Europe.
Key Figures
- The total budget is 2.8 million €
- The grant is 1.9 million €
- The schedule is 2020 – 2022
Links
Olfactomics Surgery: Real-Time Tissue Analysis During Cancer Surgery
Innovation
Surgery is an important treatment option in cancer care. Unfortunately, often, preoperative examination appears inadequate, resulting globally in 10-60 % incomplete removals of tumour tissue and necessitating repeat operations. This leads to an immense burden on quality of life of patients and enormous additional treatment costs.
The solution proposed by the EU-funded Olfactomics Surgery project is an innovative, non-invasive, real-time device enabling analysis of surgical smoke during surgery and facilitating optimal, accurate cancer-occupied tissue removal. The Olfactomics device will be launched for commercialisation and scaled-up, first for breast cancer and then other surgical areas.
Project Goals and Results
The breakthrough innovative Olfactomics device allows the surgeon to analyze the operated tissue in real-time during cancer surgery leading to optimal tissue removal without compromising the workflow of the operation and facilitating the use of existing instrumentation.
The solution is based on noninvasive, real-time analysis of surgical smoke. The reduced reoperation rate results in significant benefits for the patient, surgeon, hospital and society.
The market potential is high. Easily reachable market for the breast cancer surgery is 850M€ and market for other applicable specialties (such as prostate cancer, skin cancer, and intestinal surgery) is over 2,000M€.
Key Figures
- The total budget is 2.6 million €
- The grant is € 1.8 million €
- The schedule is 2019 – 2022
Links
GoSleep: Global scale-up of GoSleep Pods more than a seat
Innovation
Air passengers in transit have several needs, such as being able to relax and enjoy privacy. There’s a solution: GoSleep Pods are entirely automatic reclining seats with privacy shade. The pioneering product is already globally known and used in 25 airports and other locations globally. Market understanding led to the optimisation of the product, and the new V2 Pod will target offices, hospitals, roadside service stations are other terminals.
The EU-funded GoSleep project will use the Horizon 2020 Instrument to accelerate the global optimisation and scaled-up production, business models based on Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR+) thinking, scale-up activities, active communication with stakeholders and users and market launch of the new V2 Pod.
Project Goals and Results
Patented breakthrough innovation is a combination of product and service; GoSleep Pods are fully automatic reclining seats with privacy shade already in use at 25 airports and other locations globally. Wide market understanding helps the optimizing of the products and during this project finalized V2 Pod will be launched. The potential for scaling the service to the new market segment is significant, the next focuses are offices, hospitals, roadside service stations are other terminals.
GoSleep Pods are pioneering products on the market and have clearly more suitable features for the airport use than any of a few other competitors. GoSleep brand is already globally known and the brand value is high. Commercialization of GoSleep Pods creates new service market of 505 M€ and up to 3000 workplaces. Benefits include sleeping safety, health, satisfaction and working efficiency for the users. GoSleep Pods provide a solution for a clear user need: privacy during transit is asked by 1.4 billion air passengers globally.
Key Figures
- The total budget is 1.5 million €
- The grant is € 1.05 million €
- The schedule is 2018 – 2021
Links
OPTIFUEL: Smart and reliable solid biofuel quality control solution
Innovation
Biofuel can be more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly than other fuel types. Yet quality varies significantly depending on the fuel type and its source, and how it has been handled and stored.
OPTIFUEL is an automated system checks biofuel for unwanted impurities. Everything from poor quality fuel to lost tools can disrupt the burning of biofuels. OPTIFUEL weeds out the impurities for clean energy production.
Project Goals and Results
The goal is to realize the global market opportunity related to a disruptive real-time solid biofuels quality control and optimization solution created, tested and proven by INRAY Ltd in cooperation with industrial anchor customers since 2009. The innovation enables biomass power plants to replace the current manual sampling method by real-time assessment and optimization of fuel handling and combustion, producing concrete value and savings both to a vast body of industrial customers and the society at large.
For the entire EU’s bioenergy production, the OPTIFUEL solution could produce 1.5 Billion Euros in annual savings and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 0,5-3,0 Million tons. OPTIFUEL also enables more effective use of local low quality biofuels, which would increase EU’s self-sufficiency in biofuels. For a mid-size biomass power plant, OPTIFUEL produces up-to 1 Million Euros in annual savings.
Key Figures
- The total budget is 1.6 million €
- The grant is € 1.1 million €
- The schedule is 2016 – 2018