The NOVA University of Lisbon and Sociedade Ponto Verde (SPV) are launching the second edition of CIRCULAR inNOVA(tion) 2.0, a program that places innovation at the service of concrete environmental challenges and the transformation of the packaging management and packaging waste sector, as announced in a press release.
According to the same source, this year NOVA and SPV challenge the academic community to respond to two concrete and current challenges in the field of waste management.
Coffee Capsule Collection
The consumption of coffee capsules has grown exponentially in recent years, becoming a waste stream requiring valorization, but also a significant challenge in terms of collection and proper disposal.
How can we create an efficient, accessible and scalable system that allows significantly increasing the collection and recycling of used capsules?
PAYT in the HORECA Sector
The HORECA sector (Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés) plays a decisive role in the production of packaging waste.
How to implement a Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) model that encourages this sector to separate more and better, promoting responsible behaviours and aligned with national environmental goals?
It is to respond to these real challenges that another edition of CIRCULAR inNOVA(tion) 2.0 is born, a structured program to transform ideas into testable solutions with implementation potential.
The program unfolds in four phases, guiding teams from the idea to the pilot implementation of innovative solutions:
- Open Call — Submission of applications and selection of the most promising teams and participants.
- Hackathon & Ideation — An intensive period of training and co-creation, with the presentation of challenges, a design thinking bootcamp and pitching training. The finalist teams receive financial support of €1,000.
- Development of the Minimum Viable Product — Evolution of the solutions with dedicated mentoring and specialized workshops. The phase ends with a Demo Day, where the winning team receives a prize of €5,000.
- Pilot Phase — The winning team continues the development of the project with the support of Sociedade Ponto Verde, including the possibility of implementing the pilot and final presentation of results.
The initiative reinforces the joint commitment of NOVA and SPV to applied innovation and to mobilizing the academic community for solutions with real environmental impact.
“NOVA has the responsibility to place its knowledge, talent and capacity for innovation at the service of society’s major challenges. CIRCULAR inNOVA(tion) 2.0 translates this commitment, creating concrete conditions to transform ideas into solutions with real potential for implementation in the area of the circular economy,” says Isabel Rocha, Vice-Rector for Innovation, Value Creation and Global Affairs at the NOVA University of Lisbon.
For the CEO of Sociedade Ponto Verde, Ana Trigo Morais, “Collaboration is fundamental for us to find innovative ideas that help transform the waste sector in Portugal, notably with regard to packaging recycling. It is, therefore, with enthusiasm that we launch CIRCULAR inNOVA(tion) 2.0, placing two new challenges before the academic community with the expectation of identifying viable solutions that will generate positive and measurable impact.”
The CIRCULAR inNOVA(tion) 2.0 is aimed at students, alumni, researchers, and faculty, with each team required to include at least one member linked to the NOVA ecosystem. Applications can be submitted here and close on March 26.
