The workshop included the participation of several entrepreneurs coming from science and technology who presented their current projects. Among them, Prof. Puntes gave a short talk on his experience in the generation of tech-based start-up companies, and particularly on his new project BiogasPLUS – that is based on a patent from our group.

Further details and program here:

http://www.irec.cat/noticies-irec/jornada-qenergia-y-emprendimiento-de-la-investigacion-a-la-creacion-de-empresasq.html

The project BiogasPLUS, led by members of our group, has recently received renewed financial support and recognition. Encouraged by the Entrepreneurs Fund of Fundación Repsol, the project was presented to the Fourth Call of the Ibero-American Awards to Innovation and Entrepreneurship – organized by the Secretaría General Iberoamericana (SEGIB).

SEGIB is an international organization devoted to strengthen the cooperation between all Ibero-American countries, in what comes to economics, politics and culture. Within this framework, these awards recognize innovation-driven entrepreneurial companies (whether already established or in their initial project stage) led by young teams in Latinamerica, Spain or Portugal.

BiogasPLUS obtained the 2nd award in the “Projects” category, one of the five awards given in this edition of the call. The awarding ceremony took place in Panama City on October 17, 2013, as part of the events of the “IX Encuentro Empresarial Iberoamericano”, and was attended by Enrique Iglesias (Secretary-General of SEGIB), Antonio Brufau (CEO of Repsol) and HRH Felipe, Prince of Asturias (Spain).

Official info (in Spanish):

SEGIB Awards 2013 announcement: http://segib.org/es/node/8958

Awarding Ceremony at the “IX Encuentro Empresarial Iberoamericano”: http://eeipanama.com/segib-entrega-premios-en-el-marco-del-encuentro-empresarial/

Also highlighted in the news of the Entrepreneurs Fund (in English).

The project, BiogasPLUS, introduces the creation of a spin-off company that produces nanoparticles in large commercial quantities with specific applications. In particular, the focus product is a nanoparticle-based additive that can enhance the production of biogas up to a 200% together with other environmental benefits. This is a result from the findings on the biological effects of inorganic nanoparticles in waste treatment processes, co-developed between the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). The project is led by Prof. Víctor Puntes, together with Dr. Eudald Casals and Dr. Cecilia López, working in collaboration researchers on waste management led by UAB Prof. Antoni Sánchez.

BiogasPLUS was one of the 16 finalist projects, selected among 479 proposals presented in this call. Fundación Repsol selected 8 projects for company incubation, while 2 more were chosen to be supported for further development and maturation – BiogasPLUS being among these two.

This was the second edition of this increasingly successful call from Fundación Repsol: as stated in its website, this initiative is framed within Repsol’s corporate strategy for improving the sustainability of the current energy models, and aims to promote innovation and entrepreneurial development in the field of energy efficiency and new energy sources.

Full news at the Entrepreneurs Fund – Fundación Repsol website:

English: http://www.fondoemprendedores.fundacionrepsol.com/en/entrepreneurs-fund/second-call

Spanish: http://www.fondoemprendedores.fundacionrepsol.com/es/fondo-de-emprendedores/segunda-convocatoria

]]> http://www.inorganicnanoparticles.net/neus-bastus-marie-curie-cig-grant/ Thu, 05 Jul 2012 19:56:05 +0000 http://inorganic.wpengine.com/?p=936 Dr. Neus Bastús, a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral Fellow in our group, has been recently awarded a Marie Curie Career Reintegration Grant (CIG), granted by the European Commission to support junior researchers directly by funding their own research – a step beyond a personal fellowship. Neus presented the project “Developing New Strategies for the Production of Viable Hybrid Nanocrystals with Applicability in Energy Conversion and (Photo)catalysis”, focusing on the production of metal-semiconductor, metal-oxide of semiconductor and metal-metal oxide, in core-shell and/or oligomer-like configurations, by tackling the most challenging points related to the growth of multi-component materials, in particular the conditions by which it is possible to tune both, the materials that compose the structure and the morphology of the final structure.

Many congratulations, Neus!