Discover the finalist projects of the Circular Economy Challenge 2022

Startup projects based on circularity

Healix Green_granulate_2-min
Transforming Marine and Agriculture Plastic Waste

HEALIX

The threat from plastic pollution has escalated from a minor environmental concern to a full-blown planetary crisis. Since the World War 2, plastic production has grown on an exponential scale.

RD physics article
Remanufacturing Loudspeakers with Sustainable Materials

RD Physics

The Circularity Gap report 2021 estimates that just 8.6% of the materials in use are circulated back into the economy. What's more concerning is the fact that just two years ago the number was 9.1%.

Fotostax
Sustainable Instant Photo Printing

Fotostax

The advent of high-quality cameras in smartphones, tablets and digital cameras is slowly burying the traditional photo printing industry. About 4.7 billion photos are clicked every day: 92.5% of which with smartphones.

intermode small robotic vehicle 2
Green Autonomous Delivery Robots

Intermode

'The last mile' has always been the most difficult leg for the delivery industry. With an ever growing and rapidly evolving online shopping industry, it is imperative to make the last mile efficient.

crover
The pursuit of minimizing food wastage

CROVER

Minimizing food waste and maximizing amount of grains surviving till the end of supply chain is crucial. The CROVER team is tackling a serious problem which is often overlooked in the food supply chain. They are developing a subterranean robot, capable of monitoring grain quality in silos and other grain storage chambers.

AirGo_design
Simplifying Lightweighting

AirGo Design

Lightweighting has been a big concern for automotive, aerospace, and medical application for a while now. Plastics are consistently replacing metals as they can achieve weight reduction with same strength properties.

Jeosal
Putting Plastics back in the Materials Loop

Jeosal Materials Research Corporation

Fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) are gaining popularity in several fields such as renewable energy, automotive, aerospace and defense.

nordic bionics
Redefining design fundamentals of wheelchairs

Nordic Bionics

According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), 75 million people across the globe require a wheelchair daily. This constitutes 1% of total world population- just 5 million shy of Germany’s entire population.

interface Polymers
The Circularity of Plastic Waste

Interface Polymers

Over the years, plastic waste processing has quickly become a major environmental issue. Only 10% of the total plastic used is currently being recycled, while the rest is either incinerated or landfilled.

Airgility
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for specialized applications

Airgility

The aerial robotics industry is highly innovative with constant application specific developments. Airgility is one such disruptive innovator with several mission specific drones in their portfolio that can take care of inspection activities that are far too dangerous for humans.

UV Robotics
Autonomy of service robots

UV Robotics Limited

From serving food in restaurants to disinfecting public spaces, these robots can do it all. UV Robotics team is developing ground based autonomous robots with diverse functionalities.

Lunar Rover arm
Uncovering the mysteries of lunar bodies

Lunar Rover Arm

Lunar arm for excavation is quite expensive to build and requires materials that are lightweight and strong. The student team from Concordia University, Montreal are developing a 3D printed lunar rover arm for the Canadian Space agency.

Interesting reads on innovations, new products, technologies and more

Engineering learning opportunities

HOW A NEW GENERATION OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS IS REVOLUTIONIZING ENGINEERING

Advanced Composite Materials

Lightweight composites deliver a clever combination of optimal mechanical performance with circularity.

Surprisingly, many natural materials are composites. You can think of bone, composed of hard crystals of hydroxyapatite dispersed..........

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composites banner
Redefining large scale 3D Printing with a wide range of materials

3D Printing - Fused Granulate Fabrication (FGF)

Exploring possibilities with the emerging large scale additive manufacturing technology. This article takes a closer look into 3D Printing FGF technology, its wide material possibilities, and its edge over traditional filament-based 3D printing....

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Unveiling the Future: How AI Transforms Polymer Research

The Impact of AI on Polymer Research

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to have a significant impact on the engineering plastic and composite industry. As a result thereof, polymers and composites with new properties can be designed .....

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The next generation of injection molding

Freeform Injection Molding

Prototyping is the starting point of the innovation cycle. In an age where new innovations pop up every other minute, 3D printing has established itself as one of the most popular prototyping techniques. But have you ever considered injection molding for prototyping?