Royal Society of Chemistry's Emerging Technology competition launches for 2021 with new partners
Tech innovators, start-ups and spin outs have been invited to take part in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Emerging Technologies Competition 2021.
The competition, which is now in its ninth year, was launched to identify some of the most novel, innovative and promising chemistry from across Europe.
Those taking part in the competition will be given the chance to engage directly with large partners and judges – from AstraZeneca, Boots, Croda, Eli Lilly, Givaudan, Marks & Spencer, Pepsico, PETRONAS, Reckitt Benckiser, RSSL, Scott Bader and Unilever - to build exposure and industry validation for their projects.
Interested businesses can apply for the competition across one the core categories of Health, Energy & Environment, Food & Drink and Enabling Technologies.
Each winner stands to gain £20,000 prize money as well as 12 months’ one-on-one support from a specially assigned Royal Society of Chemistry mentor, and a further £20,000 available as a business acceleration grant.
Jo Reynolds, director of Science & Communities at the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “We were so impressed with the way last year’s difficult circumstances inspired such an array of terrific ideas for using chemistry to tackle the challenges we are facing, and we eagerly await applications for 2021 as we continue to experience the consequences of this pandemic and other global issues.
“This competition consistently demonstrates the prominent role that chemistry can play – not only in developing solutions to pressing societal challenges and countering threats to the sustainable future of our planet – but also in driving economic growth. Once again, budding tech innovators, agile start-ups and spin-outs have a huge opportunity to show how they can contribute.
“We are also proud to welcome back many of our highly experienced judges for another year, alongside some new faces. Together, we are very much looking forward to seeing, first-hand, the creative innovations that hold such promise for our collective future.”
Last year’s winners tackled issues from stabilising vaccines without refrigeration, using machine learning to make cultivated meat products and creating catalytic solutions for closing the carbon loop. In 2021, the competition is once again calling on entrants to demonstrate the leading challenges they could help overcome for the benefit of society as a whole.
The competition is free to apply to and welcomes applicants from the UK and Europe whose technology has a strong component of chemistry.
Applicants have until 18th April to submit their entries. A shortlist of finalists will be revealed in late May, ahead of the Emerging Technologies Final event in June.