Register your team and supervisor for the National competition (Sweden) by 15 April in the form below.

Competition business case and supporting documents is to be submittet by 15 May to the National Coordinator.

Aim

The Bio-based Innovation Student Challenge Europe (BISC-E) is a Europe-wide student competition recognising excellence in the emerging bio-based sector. BISC-E seeks to raise awareness and involve students in the transition towards a bio-based economy.

BIC involvement

BIC provides a central role in mobilising country participation, acting as contact point for the BISC-E coordinating organisation and financing and co-organising the European finals where the top student teams compete. BIC also funds the prize awards and provides additional benefits to the winning team (see below).

Participation

Develop an innovative bio-based product or process to help resolve technological, environmental, or societal challenges that could become part of the bio-based industry and the bioeconomy. Build your business case in a multidisciplinary student team. Present its benefits and your entrepreneurship to experts from industry and academia. The experts will judge your business case on technological excellence, sustainability and environmental performance, and economic feasibility.

The target countries for student team participation are the EU member states and the countries associated to the European framework programmes.

Teams of 2–6 students enrolled in a programme (Bachelor level, Master level or first year of doctoral student level) at an institute for higher education are welcome to participate.

It is highly advisable that the teams include students from different disciplines, including STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) disciplines. Team members can be enrolled at different universities.

Benefits to students

BISC-E will offer student opportunities to interact with actors in the bio-based industry throughout Europe. This can be done during preparation of business cases. This interaction can possibly lead to further relationships between students and the industry.

BISC-E competition prizes – European final

First place:

5000 EUR prize award

• 1-year free BIC ‘Full Member’ membership. This includes access to the full network of industry members, and involvement in the content planning for the partnership between BIC and the European Commission (Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking)
• Winning team and its project taken up in BIC’s newsletter and on BIC’s website; this offers the opportunity to update progress of the project and attract further attention
• Articles on the winning team and its project in international media that BIC work with. This will provide exposure to the broad bio-based sector and the European Commission
• Guided support by BIC staff during membership

Second place:

• 2500 EUR prize award

Third place:

• 1000 EUR prize award

Read more

Read more about the competition, guidelines, and get inspiration from the previous competition

National Coordinator – Sweden

Professor Mohammad Taherzadeh, University of Borås

Photo by: Adobestock
Portrait photo by: Suss Wilén