{"id":4271,"date":"2026-02-08T18:57:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T18:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/?p=4271"},"modified":"2026-02-09T04:12:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T04:12:37","slug":"international-sustainable-chemistry-collaborative-centre-isc3-innovation-challenge-2026-e25000-total-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/?p=4271","title":{"rendered":"International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3)\u202fInnovation Challenge 2026 (\u20ac25,000 total prize)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><div id=\"tdi_1\" class=\"tdc-row\"><div class=\"vc_row tdi_2  wpb_row td-pb-row\" >\n<style scoped>\n\/* custom css - generated by TagDiv Composer *\/\n\n\/* custom css - generated by TagDiv Composer *\/\n.tdi_2,\r\n                .tdi_2 .tdc-columns{\r\n                    min-height: 0;\r\n                }\n<\/style><div class=\"vc_column tdi_4  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<style scoped>\n\/* custom css - generated by TagDiv Composer *\/\n\n\/* custom css - generated by TagDiv Composer *\/\n.tdi_4{\r\n                    vertical-align: baseline;\r\n                }\n<\/style><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\" >[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"post-171909\">\n<div>\n<p><strong>Deadline: May 4, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Applications are open for the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3)\u202fInnovation Challenge 2026. By developing new sustainable materials, products, processes and business models, chemistry plays a key role in achieving most of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and hence a sustainable future. To accelerate the search for solutions, the ISC3 launches the Innovation Challenge to engage, award and promote Sustainable Chemistry innovators from around the world.<\/p>\n<p>This ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2026 is calling for chemistry or chemical technology-based innovations in the field of electronics, featuring the following subtopics:<\/p>\n<p><em>Innovation in Design &amp; Performance<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Applying Eco-design principles: designing electronics for durability, repairability, recyclability, and modularity with focus on chemical and materials innovation<\/li>\n<li>Design for disassembly: using adhesives, coatings, and encapsulants that can be safely removed or chemically dissolved.<\/li>\n<li>Reducing material intensity while maintaining performance.<\/li>\n<li>Developing more sustainable solders, recyclable encapsulants, and solvent systems for safer assembly\/disassembly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Innovations providing more resource efficient use or substitution of critical raw materials and toxic metal species<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alternative technologies for scarce and critical elements and critical nonrenewable resources (see Annex I a.) for details)<\/li>\n<li>Use of abundant, non-toxic, recycled \/ recyclable feedstocks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Sustainable Manufacturing Approaches<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Low-energy, low-waste fabrication methods (solution processing, additive manufacturing, green solvents).<\/li>\n<li>Designing scalable, safer chemical routes generating less waste<\/li>\n<li>Sustainable alternatives to hazardous reagents and byproducts (including additional technologies)<\/li>\n<li>Development of biodegradable electronic components using polymers and organic materials.<\/li>\n<li>Addressing social issues including child labor, unsafe working conditions, and other forms of injustice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>End-of-Life &amp; Circularity<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Chemical methods for disassembly, selective separation, and recycling<\/li>\n<li>E-waste recycling and recovery of valuable materials\n<ul>\n<li>Electrochemical recycling of materials in electronics (e-waste recovery of metals like Li, Co, Au).<\/li>\n<li>Mechanical or chemical recycling of plastic materials in electronics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Use of recyclable, biodegradable\u00a0materials or materials that undergo full mineralization at end of life\n<ul>\n<li>E.g. biomaterials based, biodegradable conductors and semiconductors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Closed-loop systems<\/li>\n<li>Prevention of material dissipation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Alternative &amp; Emerging Materials<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Organic and polymer electronics<\/li>\n<li>Advanced Materials for Electronics\n<ul>\n<li>2D materials like graphene, MoS\u2082, and MXenes: Surface chemistry affects electronic and mechanical properties.<\/li>\n<li>Metal\u2013organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs): Used in sensing, energy storage, and optoelectronic devices.<\/li>\n<li>Self-healing or stimuli-responsive materials for flexible electronics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Sustainable alternatives to fossil-based plastic materials used in electronics, e.g.:\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0PVC for cables, insulation, flexible parts<\/li>\n<li>ABS for casings for computers, printers, TV\u2019s, keyboards, etc.<\/li>\n<li>PS for insulation<\/li>\n<li>PC for optical discs, lenses, protective covers, LED<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Novel devices<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>More sustainable Energy Storage &amp; Conversion Devices (Batteries, Supercapacitors, Fuel Cells)<\/li>\n<li>Organic Electronics, Photonics &amp; Optoelectronics (OLEDs, OPVs, Perovskite solar cells, Photocatalytic devices)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Finalists will receive:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tailored support:\u00a0access to Global Start-up Service Customised Support<\/li>\n<li>Visibility:\u00a0promotion of your innovation via ISC3 communication channels<\/li>\n<li>Networking:\u00a0participation in a key matchmaking event with industry in 2026<\/li>\n<li>Training:\u00a0individual and group pitch training for preparation of your\u00a0matchmaking event 2026 pitch<\/li>\n<li>Cash prizes:\u00a0the overall Innovation Challenge Winner will receive\u00a0a cash prize of 15,000 EUR. Two separate categories \u201cSpecial Impact\u201d are endowed with cash prizes amounting to 5,000 EUR each.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Eligibility<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Eligible are all innovators and entrepreneurs, i.e., persons owning or representing the proposed innovation, employed by organisations including research institutes, start-ups, small-medium sized enterprises, or comparable institutions active in the development and realisation of sustainable chemistry solutions. Enterprises participating in the challenge shall have a staff headcount not exceeding 50 (full time equivalent) and an annual turnover of max. 10 million Euro.<\/li>\n<li>Enterprises majority-owned by large enterprises are not eligible for the award, except for innovations leading to the creation of independent spin-offs.<\/li>\n<li>Proposals submitted by innovators and entrepreneurs from developing countries and tackling challenges in developing countries are considered as particularly important. Female entrepreneurs are specifically encouraged to submit a proposal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Assessment Criteria<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The proposals will be assessed against the three main criteria:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Innovation level. Is the innovation unique, distinct, and truly original?<\/li>\n<li>Business viability. What is the market potential of the innovation?\u00a0Is the idea commercially feasible?<\/li>\n<li>Sustainability. What is the sustainability impact of the innovation?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Application<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/10976.evalato.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to apply<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For more information, visit <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isc3.org\/page\/challenges-investor-forums\/innovation-challenge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ISC3\u202fInnovation Challenge<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text]<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_column_text css=\"\"] Deadline: May 4, 2026 Applications are open for the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3)\u202fInnovation Challenge 2026. By developing new sustainable materials, products, processes and business models, chemistry plays a key role in achieving most of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and hence a sustainable future. To accelerate the search for solutions, [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"googlesitekit_rrm_CAow1K2_DA:productID":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-call-for-applications"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4271"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4380,"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4271\/revisions\/4380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opportunityforworld.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}