Wildan Hakim, Daniel Simanjuntak and Dina Yurika spent months working on how to replace the fossil-based UV filters in cosmetics with a bio-based alternative. Their team, Sea to Skin, focused on fucoxanthin - a natural pigment that has UV-filter, anti-cancer and anti-oxidant properties. Sea to Skin devised a way to increase the yield of fucoxanthin from brown seaweed, whilst also reducing the amount of solvents used in the process. Seaweed is a fast-growing crop and does not need land to cultivate, making it a good source of biomass.
After triumphing in the Dutch competition in XX, Sea to Skin were one of the five national finalists to present before an Expert Jury at the BIC Industry Members Networking Event on 13 October. The Expert Jury assessed the innovations and possible applications in the business world, before choosing a top three out of the five teams. For coming in first place, Sea to Skin received 5,000 euros and a one-year complimentary BIC Industry Membership for mentoring and to help them develop their idea for business idea.
Belgian team AllioNova from Ghent University came in second place, winning 2,500 euros. They focused on converting leek waste into polyphenols using an innovative bioreactor to create a natural anti-aging cream. The team members are Emilia Chmiel, Gurjot Kaur and Yarn Maes.
In third place were Jędrzej Dutkiewicz, Maria Fatima Hettegger Salazar and Anna-Lena Pattis, team EcoMycoSprouts, representing University of Applied Sciences Salzburg and BOKU University in Austria. EcoMycoSprouts received 1,000 euros for their innovation using fungal mycelium grown on organic waste to restore soil health and biodiversity.
