BISC-E 2023
The Bio-based Innovation Student Challenge Europe (BISC-E), organized by the End-of-Waste/RE-SOURCE.BIO and GREEN-CHEM networks from AUGent, encourages students to explore innovation and business development in the emerging bioeconomy while developing a new biobased product or process. The challenge is open for all Bachelor and Master students (+ PhDs as coaches).
And meet some of our past participants:
Team Valorised Carbon
Team Loaf Foam
What is the BISC-E Competition?
All student (Ba/Ma) teams develop a bio-based innovation (product or process) and present their ideas via a 15' live presentation to a jury of experts from industry and science during the Belgian final. The presentation has to be accompanied by a participation file with a few supporting documents explaining sustainability, technical feasibility and economic viability of your innovation.
The jury will first assess all applications via an online preselection based on a recorded presentation and the supporting documents. The 3 best teams will be selected for the Belgian finals to actually present for the live jury, followed by some Q & A. The winning team will receive personal coaching and will compete in the EU finals in Autumn.
All rules can be found in this regulation document.
"The BISC-E Competition was a stepping stone towards our start-up! You really learn how to tackle multiple aspects of a business case." - Team Loaf Foam (2021)
Would you like to compete in the Belgian BISC-E Student Challenge 2023?
To compete, participants need to fill out this participation form with your recorded presentation and submit it to endofwaste@ugent.be before 17 March 2023.
3 March 2022 - 'From Trash to Treasure' Kick-off Event
A fun registration event to pitch ideas create teams and meet like-minded student-entrepreneurs. You don't need to have a detailed business case or even a team to attend, we will help you get on your way to compete in the BISC-E 2023 Student Challenge! Register here.
17 March 2023 - Submission Deadline
The final date on which you can submit your business case
28 March 2023 - Finals at Vlaanderen Circulair event: 'bioeconomie: van ambitie naar actie'
Present your business case to some of the biggest players in the Belgian academic and industrial sector
Autumn 2023 - EU Finals
The winner of the Belgian competition will compete with the other national teams in Autumn 2023.
"It's fun to do, a valuable experience and you can really have an impact. Just go for it!" - Team Valorised Carbon (2022)
What's in it for the students?
The competition offers valuable experience to kick-start your career or business idea, the option to network with some of the biggest players in the industrial and academic sector and multiple prizes:
Some of our past participants
Team Valorised Carbon
In 2022, The Belgian edition was won by team Valorised Carbon and consisted of bio-engineers, veterinary and economic students. They showcased how to process plum seeds into activated carbon as a more sustainable alternative to coal. With some coaching from End-of-Waste, they competed in the European finals and won the second place!
- Discover the Valorised Carbon-project through their competition video.
Team Loaf Foam
A group of chemistry and biochemistry students from HOGent found a way to process bread waste into biodegradable packaging. Within their 'Loaf Foam'-project they made packing peanuts (filling chips that are used for packaging) from old bread scraps and set up a business case to collect this bread through a local collection point to avoid transport costs and emissions.
