The Young European Inventor Finalists (2)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Since 2022, the European Inventor Awards include three cash prizes, granted to three young (<30) inventors. The cash prizes are in the amount of 20,000 euros for the first prize, 10,000 euros for the second prize, and 5,000 euros for the third prize. The selected inventions are all required to address one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)*.

The 2024 selected young inventors are the following:

Rochelle Niemeijer (Netherlands): Founder of Nostics, and inventor of an AI-driven point-of-care test kit to detect and identify bacterial infections. Niemeijer's invention arises within the larger context of antibiotic resistance, responsible for an estimated one million deaths each year. The test kits, using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), provide results in about 15 minutes. They also bypass the need for expert users, or having to send samples to a lab for analysis. Inspired by the absence of diagnostic tools and doctors on a trip to Cambodia, the project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #3 (Good health and well-being).

• US2023152235A1 - Improved biomolecule detection using surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy.
• NL2032167B1 - Method for preparing a SERS substrate for pathogen analysis in a sample.

Valentyn Frechka (Ukraine): Inventor of sustainable paper made from fallen leaves, and founder of the company Releaf Paper. Initially a high school science project, this invention addresses both deforestation and carbon emissions. It takes an average of 17 trees to produce enough cellulose for a ton of paper. With 2.3 tons of leaves, collected from parks and green spaces, one ton of cellulose is produced which is then processed into paper. Fallen leaf paper also has a much shorter degradation cycle of approximately 30 days, compared to 270 for traditional paper. When the Ukraine war broke out in 2022, Frechka relocated his company to France, where he now has major clients such as L’Oréal, Chanel and Samsung. The Releaf Paper invention addresses the UN Sustainable Development  Goals (SDG) #9 (Industry, innovation, and infrastructure) and (SDG) #12 (Responsible consumption and production). 

• WO2023182969A1 - A method for producing a chemi-thermomechanical fibrous pulp from non-wood plant raw materials and an automated line for producing said pulp by said method.

• UA155709U - A method for the production of eco-paper products using modified fallen leaves.

Khaoula Ben Ahmed, Ghofrane Ayari, Souleima Ben Temime and Sirine Ayari (Tunisia): Founders of Gewinner, this group of four young Tunisian women invented the multimodal MOOVOBRAIN system for operating wheelchairs with varying degrees of upper body disability. In one mode, the wheelchair is facial gesture-controlled. In a second mode, the wheelchair is voice-controlled. In a third mode, the wheelchair is virtual joystick-controlled. The system is mobile phone-based, compatible with a large variety of electric wheelchairs. The MOOVOBRAIN invention addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) #3 (Good health and well-being) and (SDG) #10 (Reduced inequalities).

• TN2019000088A1 - Système de pilotage et de surveillance a distance d'une chaise roulante electrique par voix et pensée.

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Note: *Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the 193 member states of the United Nations, offer a popular framework of clearly identifiable and measurable goals to end world poverty, in global partnership with civil society and government agencies. 

References
Gewinner
https://gewinner.tn/  
Meet the (young inventor) finalists.
https://tinyurl.com/mwpnm6nw
Nostics BV
https://nostics.com/
Releaf Paper
https://www.releaf-paper.com/
UN Sustainable Development Goals
https://sdgs.un.org/goals