From October 5 to 6, students from the USA, United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, and Latvia gathered at at Riga Technical University Science and Innovation Center to cultivate new ideas and innovations in the field of biotechnology, all to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN). These dedicated students channeled their efforts toward SDGs such as Good Health and Well-being, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Life Below Water. A total of 27 students, organized into eight teams, actively participated in the event.
Following two days of rigorous work, students had the opportunity to present their prototypes and pitches to a panel of esteemed jury members, consisting of RTU Rector Tālis Juhna, industry representatives Girts Smelters (CEO of Exponential Technologies), Anna Ramata-Stunda (CEO of Alternative Plants), and representatives from the academic environment, including Louise Logan (Vertically Integrated Project project manager from Strathclyde University, UK), and Leah Misemer (Vertically Integrated Project project manager from Georgia Tech, USA).
Over two days of creative and collaborative ideation, the students developed prototypes within a wide range of sustainable solutions, including independent bio-energy production using microbial fuel cells, hazardous chemical extraction from wastewater, cleaning plastic pollution from the seas, developing a prototype that can indicate expiration dates on medical face masks, using algae to combat ocean acidification, and addressing overconsumption through a new device.
After a thorough evaluation, the student team Refuel secured the best pitch category for their presentation, while the team Super Salli, which focused on implementing an advanced desalination system for ocean treatment, received the award for the best prototype.
This activity received support from the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101100509 as part of the SynBee project. RTU is actively engaged in the SYNBEE project, which received a grant from the European Commission's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under the European Innovation Ecosystem (EIE) funding scheme. Coordinated by Da Vinci Labs the project kicked off in March 2023 to enhance key aspects of synthetic biology's innovation ecosystems in Europe. This involves improving policies and regulations, developing supportive infrastructures, and fostering a culture that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship. For more information, visit https://synbee.eu/.
