- The finalists got the best score by the jury in each of the four categories of the Accelerathon.
- The winner of the Accelerathon will be announced on October 8 at a ceremony to be held in Brussels (Belgium) as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities.
01/08/2024, Brussels. The RES4CITY STARTUP EUROPE ACCELERATHON already knows its four finalists who will fight for victory in the grand finale to be held in Brussels (Belgium) on October 8. The ideas #e-lab CITY 5.0, UAQUE MALOKA, HYBRIGHT and BLUEDROPS have achieved the highest score in their respective categories and maintain their chances of winning the European Acceleration Ticket that will give them the opportunity to bring their idea to reality through European funding.
The best proposal in the first category, which sought initiatives to optimize the efficiency of electric vehicle charging through smart energy solutions, was #e-lab CITY 5.0. A proposal devised by Matías Esoín, Jordi Sánchez and María Morillas focused on redefining sustainable mobility through the seamless integration of all mobility solutions and systems.
The second category award went to the Colombian team UAQUE MALOKA, composed of Mayali Tufur, Maria Cristina Rojas, Jeanette Rojas, Cristina Mora, Nicolás Sánchez. This category was looking for the idea with the best proposal for efficient soil management aligned with the circular economy, and the Colombian team has proposed a pilot project implementing efficient irrigation systems and organic fertilizer management for urban gardens in Ciudad Salitre, Bogota (Colombia), with potential expansion to European communities.
The HYBRIGHT team obtained the highest score in the third category, which gathered ideas that bet on green hydrogen production. This team was formed by Paula Dias, João Diaz, Luis Alves, Vítor Pereira and Ricardo Coelho, members of LEPABE, a research unit that operates in the fields of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of Porto (FEUP). In this case, the Portuguese team proposes the development of a cost-effective technology to produce hydrogen without CO2 emissions through the separation of biogas.
Finally, the Spanish team BLUEDROPS won the fourth category, which sought the most innovative ideas in graywater reuse. The team formed by Eduvigis Sardà, Blanca Buetas and Eduardo Lavrador proposed the creation of an interactive educational platform to promote the reuse of greywater, raise public awareness and implement sustainable practices across Europe to conserve freshwater and reduce pollution.
The four finalists have been chosen by a jury of seven experts in the categories of this Accelerathon, which has evaluated the proposals received according to various criteria such as the impact and feasibility of the projects, their design and degree of innovation, among others. This same jury will re-evaluate the ideas, after the teams apply the relevant corrections, and will decide who is the winner of the RES4CITY STARTUP EUROPE ACCELERATHON.
The final on October 8
The grand final of the RES4CITY STARTUP EUROPE ACCELERATHON, a competition held under the umbrella of the European RES4CITY project, will be take place on October 8 in Brussels (Belgium), an event that is part of the European Week of Regions and Cities. Finnova Foundation, organizer of this Accelerathon, will host this ceremony and will help the winner in the drafting of a proposal that may be eligible to receive funding from the European Commission (EC) for one of the projects of the RES4CITY project.
If you want to know more about this initiative and the ideas that were presented to the Accelerathon, you can watch the RES4CITY STARTUP EUROPE ACCELERATHON semifinal on our Youtube channel, through this link.
About Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe is the EU’s new framework program for research and innovation (2021-2027), successor to Horizon 2020, with a budget of over €95 billion. Its objectives include combating climate change, aligning with the SDGs and boosting EU competitiveness. It seeks to achieve scientific, technological, economic and social impact, strengthening the scientific and technological bases and competitiveness of the Member States. The Commission believes that Europe’s future depends on its leadership in research and innovation, and Horizon Europe seeks to address global challenges such as health, aging, security, pollution and climate change.
About FINNOVA
FINNOVA is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. FINNOVA’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a solid proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.
About RES4CITY
RES4CITY is a project funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe Program, lasting 36 months (about 3 years) and a budget of 2.5 million euros. It aims to promote the development of renewable energy and sustainable fuel technologies in urban environments, through collaboration with stakeholders and the promotion of sustainability and circular economy.