Biobased materials are appearing in several submissions for this year's Wubbo Ockels Innovation Award. From a field of 63 ideas, the jury selected ten finalists who will present their plans in Amsterdam on November 7th. The themes range from circularity and food to water and energy transition, with a striking focus on natural resources and renewable fibers. The final will take place at Molenterrein de Otter, where the finalists will demonstrate how their solutions can be developed from a pilot to a practical application.
The award, named after astronaut and innovator Wubbo Ockels, was established to accelerate the implementation of breakthrough ideas. Anyone with a concrete plan can participate, and the jury will weigh vision, feasibility, scalability, and impact. According to the organization, the winners will receive €25, €15, and €10, plus mentoring, media attention, and access to a network. The foundation behind the award collaborates with partners such as Rabobank, Edge Technologies, the Fred Foundation, and TBI Klimaattrein.
Mycelium, fungal pigment and a biobased wall
The list of submissions highlights several material routes that seek to scale up. AIFUNGHI develops furniture and lighting with mycelium composite that can be composted after use. Fabulous Fungi uses pigments that produce fungi on waste streams to create an alternative to synthetic textile dyes. In the construction sector, BIMpressed and Eltomation are jointly presenting OPTIMwall, a fully biobased wall system that combines wood wool cement panels with a substitute for traditional cement. These projects focus on large material streams where replacement immediately reduces CO₂ emissions and primary raw materials.
Seaweed and algae are moving into practice
Seaweed and microalgae are returning as raw materials and as technology. Zeefier is developing dyes from seaweed for the textile industry. JiTiBa Algae Technologies uses microalgae for post-settlement and wastewater resource recovery. Holdfast and Stipe is a finalist on the podium, showcasing seaweed as a lever for resilient and profitable agriculture. The row demonstrates that biomass can be both functional and aesthetic, from purification to color.
Biobased in bridge and sheet material
Infrastructure and interior design are also evolving. Mobilis is working on Viaductbehout, bridge decks for heavy traffic using wood-concrete girders. TRIBOO focuses on circular furniture panels made with renewable fibers and residual flows. By using them in standard products and civil engineering projects, biobased material choices can be incorporated into tenders and procurement.
Water purification with biobased technology
PFAS is a complex issue for water managers. Hydrogenium, another finalist, presents a circular, biobased approach for removal from surface water. Aestuary is also on the same list, offering a biological pretreatment for desalination. The combination of biochemistry and process innovation offers the water sector additional leverage to save energy and resources.
The final on November 7th will bring the ten selected teams together at Molenterrein de Otter in Amsterdam. They will pitch to a professional jury and, at the end of the evening, have a chance to win one of three prizes. All other entrants are invited to showcase their innovations, making the event a compact showcase of the current state of the art.
Source: Wubbo Ockels Innovation Award
