ISC3 Innovation Challenge

They are assessed by a jury of international experts who score the Start-ups and choose the finalists. The finalists’ pitches and the award ceremony take place in autumn/winter.

The winners are awarded money prizes in two categories:

• Two Special Impact Awards for Start-ups that have a noteworthy impact on the environment and society.
• The overall Winner of our Innovation Challenge.

All the finalists receive a customized support of the ISC3 Global Start-up Service in form of pitch trainings and have the possibility to be featured as Start-up of the Month.

Innovation Challenge 2025

We're excited to announce our upcoming Innovation Challenge focused on Sustainable Chemistry and Climate Change! We're seeking groundbreaking chemistry or chemical technology innovations that tackle climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Application open from 19th November 2024 until 3rd March 2025. Please register and apply using the form below.

Key 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.