Energy production, façade materials and safer home environments - that's what the winning ideas in the Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge 2023 are all about.
- We are impressed by the quality of this year's submissions and look forward to following the winners' continued journey, says Jacob Ode, Dalarna Science Park.
Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge is an idea competition organized by Dalarna Science Park in collaboration with Dalarna University, Sparbanksstiftelsen Dalarna, Byggdialog Dalarna and LF Dalarnas. The aim of the competition is to find innovative ideas that can improve housing and construction processes, making them more sustainable and healthier. This year, contestants could also choose to enter a bonus competition focusing on smart technology that can increase the safety of older people at home.
Energy systems for the future
The jury evaluated the entries based on criteria such as level of innovation, sustainability and scalability. The decision to award the first prize to Arian Edrissi was unanimous.
Arian has developed an idea for an energy community, based on a combination of solar cells, pyrolysis technology and biofuel. By building a separate system, it can continue to provide electricity and heat in a crisis situation where other energy systems fail.
- I believe that more and more people want to take control of their own energy production, both for the sake of the climate and the economy. At present, solar panels are the most common way, but this is not enough to solve the energy problem. Moreover, not everyone can afford or install solar panels," says Arian.
- If we succeed in creating this energy system, it can become a model for others to follow. In this way, more people can participate in the transition and help improve the climate situation.
"Exciting to see where it leads"
The second prize winner of the competition is Filip Ireblad, whose idea is to use mushrooms as a facade material for buildings.
- My vision is that the mushroom façade will clad many buildings in the future. Fungi contribute to biodiversity, capture carbon dioxide and also purify the air. The challenge is to find the right fungi species," says Filip.
Third prize in the Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge goes to Linn Karlsson who also wins the bonus competition.
Linn wants to develop an app to help with home adaptations and other measures to reduce the risk of elderly people getting injured at home.
- I hope that the app will contribute to the timely deployment of welfare technology so that older people can continue to live their lives as they wish, for as long as possible," explains Linn, who is delighted with the double awards.
- "It's fantastic that the jury believes in my idea and now it will be exciting to see where this leads. Being able to realize my idea would be incredibly fun.
Dalarna Innovation Days Challenge 2023 - results
1st prize: Arian Edrissi
Prize: Business development support with a business coach for 6 months and a grant of SEK 20,000 that can be used to develop the idea or as start-up capital for a limited company.
Jury's motivation: The first prize winner addresses two highly topical issues, climate change and emergency preparedness. The idea applies existing technologies to create a small-scale facility for the production of sustainable energy. Through a combination of technologies and energy systems, the solution contributes to sustainable electricity and heat production while fulfilling an important function in times of crisis.
2nd prize: Filip Ireblad
Price: Business development support with business coach for 3 months.
Jury's motivation: The second prize winner has presented an idea that can be part of the solution to the climate problem and not only be carbon neutral but even carbon positive by sequestering carbon dioxide. This is an early-stage idea that was too exciting for the jury not to want it to be further tested and explored.
3rd prize: Linn Karlsson
Prize: 18 hours of business development support with a business coach. As the winner of the bonus competition, Linn Karlsson will receive an additional SEK 10,000 to develop the idea.
Jury's motivation: The award goes to an innovative idea that can make a difference to the safety and security of older people at home.It combines experience-based knowledge with modern technology in an innovative way, with the aim of making injury prevention more accessible. We believe that the idea has a good chance of being realized and has high potential to reach many users among older people as well as their relatives and caregivers.
