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SLU Alnarps and Sparbanken Skåne Innovation Award 2021

Published: 13 January 2021

The green industry is facing one of its biggest challenges yet and we believe the solution is here. Do you work at SLU Alnarp and have an idea for a new product, service or method that can contribute to a more sustainable industry? Apply for the Innovation Award and you can personally win up to SEK 100,000.

Note! Download the form on your computer to fill in your information!

The innovation award

In association with Sparbanken Skåne, SLU Alnarp this year awards ideas that carries the potential to change the green industry. The awards, worth a total of SEK 150,000 (one of 100,000 and two “growth awards” of 25,000) are personal and awarded with the goal of contributing to an innovation-promoting culture and enable more of the university’s overall knowledge to be utilized in groundbreaking innovations for both the industry and our society.

Who can apply?

Students, researchers or employees of SLU Alnarp are welcome to participate, regardless of discipline. Innovations can be product-related as well as service-oriented but may not have reached commercial phase. The assessment criteria that we will base our decision are as follows:

  • Height of innovation (how pioneering is the idea and how does the innovative height compare to alternative solutions?)
  • Newsworthiness
  • Commercial potential or social benefit
  • Implementation potential (what potential there is to move the idea forward to implementation in society / industry)

If you are more than one person behind the idea, at least one of you must be a student or researcher at SLU Alnarp. If others have been involved in the advent of innovation or have worked on developing it, you need to reconcile with these before applying. Our recommendation is that if there are questions regarding who should apply, please apply together as the prize is then shared between the applicants.

Read more under competition terms and conditions.

Important dates

25th of February 2021 Submission of application closes

The winner will be announced in May and the award ceremony will take place at Campus Alnarp with vice-chancellor of SLU, Maria Knutson Wedel.

Why an Innovation Award?

The green industry is facing one of it’s largest challenges yet. A large part of our carbon dioxide emission can be traced back to the various stages of food production and the industry needs to evolve and change - now. By being active in the issues at hand, the Swedish Agricultural University (SLU) has a key role in the solving the problem, continuously presenting new findings from research in all areas of environmental sciences.

However, as a complement to these findings, there is a need to push them even further. To implement and develop them into new businesses, to make the ideas into reality. Time is up and we are facing a new world where innovation and entrepreneurship will, inevitably, be needed to change our industry. We believe that the entrepreneurial drive of our researchers, employees and students is key to solving the problems that our industry (and planet) is facing today. And in order to meet these new challenges we need to push for new approaches, present fresh ideas and award ambition.

Competition terms and conditions:

Who can apply?

Students as well as researchers and employees at SLU Alnarp are welcome to apply, regardless of discipline. Innovations can be product-related as well as service-oriented, but can’t have reached commercial stage.

You can compete as individuals or as teams, the prize money is then shared between the applicants. If there are several people behind an idea at least one of you must be a student, researcher or employee at SLU Alnarp. Students must have at least 1 ECT at SLU Alnarp during the academic year of the competition (2021/2022)

If you are more than one person behind the idea, at least one of you must be a student or researcher at SLU Alnarp. If others have been involved in the advent of innovation or have worked on developing it, you need to reconcile with these before applying. Our recommendation is that if there are questions regarding who should apply, please apply together as the award is then shared between all applicants.

The prize

Prizes will be awarded in both the student and researcher/employee categories with a total prize amount of SEK 150,000, which is distributed between one award of SEK 100,000 and two “growth awards” of SEK 50,000 each. Together with the representative of the Sparbanken Skåne, the principal of SLU will distribute the prize at a ceremony at SLU Alnarp in the spring of 2023.

The prize is personal and comes without the requirement for reporting back how the grant was used. However, we would like to receive a brief summary of how the prize affected the recipients ability to continue their project 12 months after they’ve received the award. The prize money is a scholarship awarded to the main applicant from Sparbanksstiftelsen Finn and is normally not taxable. However, the recipient is responsible for making this clear with the tax authorities.

Selection criteria

SLU Alnarp's Innovation Award is open to all ideas, but the sustainability aspect of the proposals will be central to the assessment. Our industry needs more innovations to reduce the impact on the environment and we hope that the award will be help accelerate this development.

We welcome project ideas that have not yet been developed into a commercial product or service. The assessment criteria that we will base our decision are as follows:

  • Height of innovation (how pioneering is the idea and how does the innovative height compare to alternative solutions?)
  • Newsworthiness
  • Commercial potential or social benefit
  • Implementation potential (what potential there is to move the idea forward to implementation in society / industry)

After initial selections, the jury will meet with possible award winners in order to assess the context of innovation and how the person/persons can take the idea to a commercial phase or utilization in society. Final selection will be made after the jury has taken part in these simple project presentations.

Secrecy

All applications for SLU Alnarp's Innovation Award are treated as confidential and the innovation will remain as the applicants property even after the competition has been completed.

Jury

Mr Lennart Wikström, entrepreneur and publicist with many years of experience in research and innovation, (Lantmännen etc)

Mr Jan Rundqvist, entrepreneur and CEO of Spannex AB. Also chairman of the industry association Foder and Spannmål.

Ms Magdalena Bergh, Innovation & Product Management Director at Lantmännen Food & Health Ingredients. Phd from SLU and thereafter a long career in various companies such as Lyckeby, Probi, Absolut, Heinz, Abdon Mills och Lantmännen.