A total of 13 projects were submitted for this second edition of the Innovation Prize.
The first place went to the "Invasive to valuable" project, from USMB.
The project tackles the ecological threat posed by invasive Japanese knotweed in an innovative way, using an environmentally friendly extraction process that not only offers a sustainable solution to combating this invasive species, but also turns a major environmental problem into an economic opportunity.
Second place went to MECAPEAU project,from UPPA. Its aim is to create an instrument dedicated to monitoring the mechanical properties of human skin samples ex vivo and any changes they undergo as a result of various external stresses.
Finaly, The third prize was awarded to two projects. One is Heritdig_Pyrénées, from UPPA and UNIZAR. It focuses on digital representation for the virtual dissemination of works of architectural, artistic and cultural heritage in the Pyrenees. The aim is to approach the management of historical and artistic heritage as an interdisciplinary practice, in which new technologies prove to be fundamental resources in areas such as documentation, preservation and dissemination.
The other project is ParaHealth, a strat-up from UBI. This project has developed a medical device that aims to improve the medical procedure of paracentesis, by ensuring safer fixation of the catheter system. By combining the concepts of medicine and reusable materials, they have designed a device that also makes it easy to replace each individual part if one becomes damaged or infected.
The next (and last!) edition of the Innovation Prize will take place in the first half of 2024, so stay tuned!