BIOEAST Open Innovation Challenge winners

Celebrating the winning solutions to bioeconomy challenges

About the Challenge

The BIOEAST Open Innovation Challenge (OIC), an initiative from the BOOST4BIOEAST project, has reached an important milestone with the selection of eight innovative solutions nominated by national BIOEAST HUBs and BIOEAST Thematic Working Groups (TWGs).

The OIC received a great diversity of applications from all BIOEAST countries addressing pressing challenges grouped in eight key themes. Following a rigorous selection process, eight solutions have been chosen for their strong potential to address concrete needs across the key priority themes. The selected innovators represent a strong cross-section of researchers, SMEs, start-ups, and associations, showcasing the macro-region's growing capacity to co-create innovations tailored to local context.

MycoNest

POMARIS

POMARIS is a biodegradable, soil-applied restoration technology under development that aims to support the recovery of degraded soils by addressing physical structure, water retention, and microscale habitat. The system combines a mycelium-derived structural composite with biochar produced from agricultural residues, forming a temporary scaffold within the soil. Rather than acting as a fertiliser or microbial inoculant, POMARIS is designed to work with native soil processes by improving porosity, moisture dynamics, and carbon persistence. The concept is being explored as a modular platform compatible with existing land-use and restoration practices, with scientific validation planned through controlled testing and field trials.

MycoNest

Alex Toth we@myconest.earth

Smart Farm Robotix Ltd.

Affordable chemicals-free automated solution for weed management to elevate the competitiveness and resilience of the small and mid-size crop farmers

Our solution is a fully autonomous weeding robot based on a light-weighted (<100 kg), 4-wheeled electric engines rover, using 100% solar energy to power all onboard systems. We use cameras to capture images of plants, which are analysed by Artificial Intelligence based on deep neural networks to distinguish weeds from crops and guide the weeding modules. Weeds are removed via contact (mechanical) or contactless (energy beam) weeding modules, depending on weed size, type and soil conditions. The combination of cameras feed with other positioning sensors (IMUs, multi-GNSS navigation modules, etc.) and smart algorithms, provides the robot with robust self-navigation capabilities in an around the field.

Smart Farm Robotix

Rossen Kolev office@smartfarmrobotix.eu

Discover Theme 1

BioPark Slovakia, Interest Association of Legal Entities

Smart BIOHUB Network for Efficient Biomass Collection and Logistics

The Smart BIOHUB Network establishes 78 decentralized collection hubs across the Banská Bystrica Region to optimize biomass and biodegradable waste logistics. Based on spatial analysis and digital planning tools, the system reduces transport distances, improves traceability, and ensures a stable feedstock supply for BioPark Slovakia’s biogas facilities. The flexible hub design adapts to local conditions, from simple fenced areas to modular collection units. By connecting municipalities, farmers, and citizens within a circular bioeconomy model, the solution reduces illegal waste burning, lowers emissions, and strengthens rural economic development.

BioPark Slovakia

Marcela Slaniniaková slaniniakovabiopark@gmail.com

Discover Theme 2

ÄIO (äio tech OÜ)

ÄIO - transforming the future of fats and oils!

ÄIO is an Estonian biotechnology company developing sustainable fats&oils through precision fermentation. Founded in 2022 as a spin-off from TalTech, ÄIO transforms low-value agricultural and forestry side streams into high-performance lipid ingredients for cosmetics and food applications. Using a proprietary yeast platform and patent-pending process, the company produces natural, palm-free and fully traceable alternatives to tropical oils. ÄIO has scaled from lab to pilot production and demonstrated 10 000 L industrial-scale fermentation and soon 100 000L industrial scale. With a team of 24 scientists and professionals, ÄIO is building resilient, circular supply chains for the future of sustainable ingredients.

ÄIO

Nemailla Bonturi info@aio.bio

Discover Theme 3

Lorem Ipsum

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).

https://trust-itservices.com/

Email and contact details

Discover Theme 5

DIGITAL AGRO (Agrigentum d.o.o.)
ALGO EKO d.o.o.
SPARTIUM CONSULTING d.o.o.

HAWK EYE

The goal of the proposed project is to use multispectral and hyperspectral cameras implemented on drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) to determine the usage of illegal plant protection products in organic agricultural production by farmers, and of prohibited plant protection in conventional agricultural production by farmers. With this innovative and multidisciplinary approach, the mission is to increase the level of food and agricultural product safety, as well as the number of controlled entities, accelerate data processing, and revolutionise the method of controlling agricultural holdings. The project plans to set up experiments on experimental units that include plant production - cereals, fruit and vegetable growing.

DIGITAL AGRO
ALGO EKO
SPARTIUM CONSULTING

Igor Frljužec igor@digitalagro.eu
Alen Hrustić info@algoeko.hr
Marin Kukoč marin@spartium-consulting.hr

Discover Theme 6

Regionalwert Leistungen GmbH (methodology & software)
Czech Organics s.r.o. (national implementation partner in CZ)

Regionalwert Leistungen CZ

Regionalwert Leistungen CZ is a multi-stakeholder approach and digital platform that quantifies and monetises farms’ ecosystem services. Based on the RWLR methodology, it assesses ecological, social and regional-economic performance of farms using a coherent indicator system (soil fertility, biodiversity, climate and water services, animal welfare, employment, local value chains, etc.). Results are translated into monetary values and used in workshops and living-lab settings to support dialogue, collaboration and performance-based reward schemes among farmers, value-chain actors, researchers and policymakers. It enables more sustainable agriculture and improves regional food sovereignty by reducing dependencies.

Czech Organics, s.r.o.
Regionalwert Leistungen GmbH

Jan Trávníček info@czechorganics.com

Discover Theme 7

University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Romania

Digital Platform for Circular Economy Training, Stakeholder Collaboration, and Sustainable Energy Design

The solution accelerates circular bioeconomy adoption through three integrated pillars. A Digital Collaboration Platform connects stakeholders to optimise supply chains and knowledge sharing. An Educational Suite provides technical training on waste management alongside public awareness tools to reduce contamination. Finally, a Sustainable Design Blueprint models a symbiotic energy community, linking bioenergy systems with data centres for localised security. This holistic approach bridges the gap between theory and action, providing the networking, education, and technical frameworks necessary to transform organic waste into a sustainable resource loop and drive tangible environmental impact.

University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I”

Teodor Vintila teodorvintila@usvt.ro
Cosmin Salasa cosminsalasan@usvt.ro

Discover Theme 8

Learn More About the Open Innovation Challenge

Discover the full story behind the BIOEAST OIC, explore all themes, and find out how the winning solutions will shape the future of the bioeconomy in Central and Eastern Europe.

Visit the OIC page