Biocomposites Innovation Awards finalists announcedBiocomposites Innovation Awards finalists announced

The finalists for the 2017 Biocomposites Innovation Awards have been announced by the nova-Institute (Hürth, Germany), a consultancy specialized in biobased research and business intelligence. The three winners will be revealed at the Biocomposites Conference Cologne, which takes place on Dec. 6 and 7 in Cologne, Germany.The awards competition is stiff, as you can see for yourself in this slide show. From a biobased pedestrian bridge to a boat that is made of 80% renewable materials, these companies and researchers have found opportunities to innovate on land and sea. Each of the six finalists will make its case at the event; attendees will determine the three winners.And the nominees are . . . This first-in-the-world bio-based pedestrian bridge was developed at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands and wa installed by the company NPSP BV (Hoofddorp, Netherlands). Flax and hemp fibers, which ensure the strength of the structure, are combined with a bio-based epoxy resin. Polylactic acid (PLA) bio-foam provides the core. A vacuum infusion production process is used: Layers of natural fibers are glued around a laser-cut shape of bio-foam.