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On Wednesday 19 May, the Otto Mønsted Foundation awarded the third ‘The Bright Idea’ prize of half a million DKK. This year, the award was presented to engineering student Emma Hostrup from Aarhus University and PhD student Yong Liu from DTU, who have developed innovations in textile recycling and sensor technology. The winners’ bright ideas can help maintain Denmark’s leading role in sustainability and robotics.
Businessman Otto Mønsted became one of the most significant figures in Danish history because of his ability to develop innovative products for both national and international commercial success. In this spirit, the Otto Mønsted Foundation has now for the third time awarded the ‘The Bright Idea’ prize as a tribute to some of the country’s great research talents and a financial boost in the continued development of their ideas.
The Bright Idea 2021 award was presented in two categories – the best Late-stage idea and the best Early-stage idea. The winners of the two categories each received DKK 250,000 for their ideas, which are classified in a mature and early stage of development.
Award winners in two categories
The best Late-stage idea of the year was presented to Emma Hostrup, an engineering student at Aarhus University, who received the award on behalf of the team behind Textile Change. The start-up has developed a technological solution that can separate, decolourise and recycle textile waste into new, clean textile raw materials. With their invention, Textile Change has created an opportunity to solve a fundamental environmental problem for the textile industry, which is the second most polluting industry in the world. The method is therefore predicted to have great industrial and commercial potential when the EU bans the burning of textiles in 2025.
In the Early-stage category, the winner was Yong Liu, PhD student at DTU, for his invention of an OPA chip for LIDAR systems that functions as distance-judging ‘laser vision’ for use in robots, self-driving cars, drones and sensors in general. Yong Liu’s OPA chip shows potential to be a cheaper, smaller and more robust device with more applications than the systems we know today.
“It’s great to follow the many bright ideas being developed at universities across the country and have the opportunity to support the best. As this year, these can be either early-stage ideas or ideas where a test facility or prototype has been established and the first customers have been found. In both cases, we know that the money makes a difference in making a budding potential grow strong and contribute to Denmark’s development and trade, which was something Otto Mønsted was so passionate about,” says Nina Movin, CEO of Otto Mønsted Foundation and A/S.
‘The Bright Idea 2021’ was presented by the foundation’s chairman Bo Stærmose at the anniversary of MADE (Manufacturing Academy Denmark), which this year was held as an online event on 19 May in Copenhagen.
“We see the Bright Idea award as a push in the right direction at a time when it is relatively difficult to find funding for even the very best ideas with obvious potential. Later, as the projects mature, the winners will hopefully be able to attract investment in a higher weight class. Right now, we believe that an award from the foundation will bring this year’s winners closer to that goal and eventually become companies that grow and create positive change in our society and new jobs,” says Bo Stærmose, Chairman of the Otto Mønsted Foundation.
Jury and justifications
Candidates for ‘The Bright Idea’ can be either bachelor/graduate students, PhD students, postdocs and entire research teams affiliated with one of Denmark’s eight universities.
Winner of The Bright Idea 2021 – Late stage:
Engineering student Emma Hostrup and biotechnology engineers Simon Hundahl Rossen and Ditte Højland from Aarhus University, all founders of Textile Change.
The jury’s motivation:
The award winner has through persistent work found a technological solution that can separate and recycle textile waste into new, clean, textile raw materials, solving a significant environmental problem. The technology’s ability to separate cellulose and polyester fibres and process products containing elastane and other polyurethane-based fibres is impressive. Textile Change solves a fundamental environmental problem and has the potential to establish a green lighthouse in Denmark with great industrial potential in Denmark.”
Winner of The Bright Idea 2021 – Early-stage:
Yong Liu, PhD student at DTU
The jury’s motivation:
“With his invention, the prize winner has solved a number of fundamental problems with LIDAR, which is expected to be a key component in robots, self-driving cars and sensors in general. The invention enables a significant reduction in both size and cost and ensures greater robustness. The invention will thus, when it is ready for production, make a significant contribution to Denmark remaining the world’s leading robotics cluster and a major subcontractor to the automotive industry.”
All this year’s nominations have been assessed by an award jury consisting of:
Kigge Hvid, partner, JA studio
Ole Kring, partner, VF Venture (Vækstfonden)
Bjarne Kjær Ersbøll, Professor DTU Compute and member of the board of the Otto Mønsted Foundation
Jesper Højberg Christensen, adjunct professor at CBS
Nis Alstrup, Medical Director, Aleris-Hamlet and member of the board of the Otto Mønsted Foundation
Karina Bergstrøm Larsen, Director, Q-Consulting
Christian Brix Tillegreen, Senior Business Developer, Bioinnovation Institute
Nigel Edmondson, CEO, MADE
Bo Stærmose, Chairman of the Board, Otto Mønsted Foundation