Awarded by the European Patent Office, the prize rewards young inventors working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Reykjavík

The European Patent Office presented the Young Inventors Award to individuals whose innovations support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Among the winners were American scientists Nika and Leila Mashouf, who developed enzymes that convert industrial CO2 emissions into biodegradable cellulose, offering an alternative to traditional tree-based cellulose production.

Other awardees included Ugandan entrepreneurs Sandra Nambuzo and Samuel Maisha, who created a sachet to extend fruit shelf life and reduce food waste, and Franco-American chemist Marie Perrin, who developed a process for recycling rare earth elements from electronic waste. The People's Choice Award was given to a Spanish team for a color-changing label that indicates food freshness, helping to prevent food poisoning and reduce waste.

Sustainable tech innovations awarded at Young Inventors Prize ceremony

Last applause for our inventors. Thanks for being here. Here are the winners of the Young Inventors Award 2025. Presented by the European Patent Office, it aims to highlight innovations that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The textile industry is responsible for 8% of CO2 emissions worldwide. American scientists Nika and Leila Mashouf drew inspiration from nature to develop enzymes that convert industrial CO2 emissions into biodegradable cellulose. A tree breathes in CO2. It starts from a seed and is able to use that carbon to grow its trunk, branches and leaves. We're basically mimicking that process, taking carbon and making these essential materials, but without needing to harvest the trees. So we mimic this process in chemical reactors that are simple and low cost. And we can make cellulose materials, which is our target product, in minutes instead of decades and without harming trees. Food waste is responsible for 10% of CO2 emissions, according to the FAO. Ugandan entrepreneurs Sandra Nambuzo and Samuel Maisha have developed a bag that extends the shelf life of fruit. Capalax is basically a sachet that we place in fruit boxes during storage or delivery and it releases an active ingredient that inhibits enzyme phospholipase D that is responsible for sinuses or membrane deterioration in fruits. Marie Perrin, a Franco-American chemist, has developed a process for recycling the rare earths found in electronic waste. So it's a family of 17 elements from the periodic table and you've probably never heard about them. They have weird names like praseodymium, neodymium, europium, but we rely on them every single day. They're in our phones and our computers, but also in a lot of green technologies like wind turbines and electric cars. So we really rely on them every single day and we need them for the energy transition as well. But their production by mining causes big geopolitical and environmental issues. And so recycling is actually kind of like the magic solution to both the geopolitical and the environmental impact. The People's Choice Award went to a team of Spanish researchers who developed a label that changes color when a food item is out of date, thus preventing food poisoning and waste.

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