Spotted: If forests are managed sustainably, they can be an invaluable asset in the fight against climate change. Earlier this year the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published a report outlining how wood-based innovations and sustainable forest use can help to tackle the climate crisis and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Timbeter, an Estonian startup, is on a mission to make forestry sustainable ‘one log at a time’. By doing so, it is helping to ensure that forests deliver the potential outlined in the report.
The startup specialises in timber measurement and data management, using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies to provide greater accuracy in its services. The technology makes it possible to quickly measure log diameters, log count, and log pile density through a smartphone, providing a valuable resource for companies who need to have greater oversight of their forestry data. It could also be used by forestry professionals to track the health of trees and prevent illegal logging.
In a recent study conducted by Poznan University, Timbeter was found to be 95 per cent accurate in its timber measurements. This high level of accuracy is made possible by machine learning technologies that allow Timbeter to constantly refine and improve its algorithms.
Earlier this month, the startup announced that it has raised €500,000 in funding. The round was led by Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, a non-profit organisation run by Saudi Arabia’s main sovereign wealth fund. The company plans to use the funding to continue developing its technology and expanding its team. In addition, Timbeter hopes to raise awareness of the importance of forests and the need to protect them.
Other sustainable forestry innovations, spotted by Springwise, include a network of intelligent sensors helping emergency response teams respond to climate change impacts, and digital ‘smart forest’ technology that helps with forest management and research.
Spotted: In sub-Saharan Africa, the electrification gap is one of the primary barriers to development. As many as 600 million people in the region live without reliable power. Many basic needs, from education and healthcare to economic opportunity, remain out of reach for millions of people as a result.
Zola Electric, a company originally founded in Tanzania, has developed a power system that promises to bring reliable, affordable electricity to off-grid communities across Africa.
The Zola ‘Infinity’ system is designed to be more reliable and cost-effective than traditional grid-based power and can be quickly deployed to rural areas where electrification is most needed.
The system draws on multiple energy inputs and a smart storage system to provide continuous power. With Infinity, African families will finally have access to the lights, refrigeration, pumps, and other appliances that they need to improve their quality of life. Importantly, Infinity is also designed to be scalable and adaptable, meaning that it can grow with communities as their needs change.
Zola has received backing from a number of prestigious investors including Tesla, Total, and EDF.
Mini-grids and smart storage solutions will be increasingly important as the world’s energy system becomes more decentralised. Springwise has recently spotted a software service that optimises decentralised energy projects and a plug-and-play solar energy system for swarm electrification.
Spotted: Agriculture accounts for around 30 per cent of Tanzania’s GDP, and the country’s government is in the process of redirecting the farming sector towards a more sustainable and productive pathway.
Helping with this transition is Simusolar, a cleantech startup that is a leading provider of solar-powered water pumps and fishing lights in rural East Africa.
Only 3 per cent of Tanzanian farmers currently have access to irrigation technology, and most of them still use diesel pumps. Simusolar’s affordable solar-powered pumps enable farmers to increase their crop yields while using less water and fuel. In addition, the pumps reduce carbon emissions and pollution from diesel generators.
Meanwhile, Simusolar’s fishing lights replace the polluting kerosene lamps commonly used by Tanzanian fishermen. The solar-powered LEDs are as bright as a kerosene lamp, work under all weather conditions, and incur no fuel or maintenance costs.
Last year, Simusolar received €1.26 million from EDFI ElectriFI, the EU-funded electrification financing initiative. With this funding, the company intends to expand its product portfolio to create a mix of productive equipment solutions and services adapted to farmers’ needs.
Other off-grid solar energy solutions recently spotted by Springwise include a plug-and-play solar energy system for swarm electrification, a solar-powered off-grid desalination system, and solar-powered refrigerators to cut food spoilage in developing countries.
Spotted: Studies have shown that girls in sub-Saharan Africa miss up to 20 per cent of school days each year due to period-related complications. And the current COVID-19 pandemic has hit menstruators particularly hard, exacerbating period poverty in the region. Against this backdrop, access to affordable menstrual products is more important than ever.
This is where Tanzanian social enterprise WomenChoice comes in, with its mission to ensure that women and girls in Africa stop managing their period with unhygienic materials. The organisation offers reusable sanitary towels and tampons, as well as additional hygiene products such as breast pads, child and adult diapers, and vomit kits. These are all low cost to ensure they are affordable for everyone.
An important part of WomenChoice’s approach is its distribution model. The enterprise empowers socially disadvantaged young women and girls by employing them as vendors and sales agents who earn 10 per cent royalties for the products they sell.
In addition to producing and distributing affordable products, WomenChoice also provides information on menstruation. This includes training on menstrual hygiene and programmes that tackle period taboos, myths, and superstitions.
Menstrual hygiene is an important topic around the world and Springwise has spotted several innovations helping menstruators manage their periods. These include a reusable sanitary pad and cleaning device for those living in refugee camps and plant-based period products that help those that suffer from cramps.
Spotted: Aggressive and unsustainable farming methods, greenhouse gas emissions, and loss of biodiversity. These are some of the negative impacts associated with the seafood industry. In response, the global plant-based fish market is projected to reach a valuation of $1.3 billion (around €1.2 billion) by 2031.
Against this backdrop, UK-based food-tech company Better Nature has secured a £350,000 (around €410,000) grant to develop plant-based fish made from food by-products. The company aims for the new range of sustainable seafood products to be nutritious, delicious, and environmentally friendly.
The grant, which comes from the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, will enable Better Nature to build on the company’s proprietary fermentation methods, which are inspired by tempeh – a protein-rich plant-based food originating in Indonesia. This traditional Indonesian delicacy is made by fermenting soybeans.
The new fish alternative will be low in fat and cholesterol, but high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Better Nature’s products are not only good for health – they also have a positive impact on the environment. Traditional seafood farming is often damaging to ecosystems, but Better Nature’s products are produced in a way that minimises environmental impact. In addition, their products are completely free from antibiotics and other chemicals often used in conventional seafood farming.
The project aims to have upcycled vegan fish on the table by 2026.
Recent years have seen a revolution in plant-based food. Springwise has recently spotted a protein-rich food additive made from duckweed, animal-free proteins and preservatives, and alternative fats produced through fermentation.
Spotted: As almost all American parents of infants are aware, there is currently a huge shortage of infant formula. Caused by a temporary shutdown of the US’s main formula producer, the situation has driven many parents to despair. While breast milk is the ideal food for infants, it is not always possible or practical to breastfeed – for various reasons. Now one company, BIOMILQ, is hoping to offer parents the best of both worlds – lab-grown ‘real’ breast milk.
Cell biologist Dr. Leila Strickland came up with the idea for BIOMILQ while she was struggling to breastfeed her own newborn. Struggling to produce enough milk, she turned to formula. Although the choice was the right one, she also realised that it was not ideal, as formula does not have the perfect nutritional composition for babies. Eleven years later, Strickland worked out how to culture breast cells in a lab and collect the milk they secrete.
BIOMILQ refers to its process as, ‘the mother of all patented technology’. The company began, in true startup fashion, in a rented lab space with used equipment sourced from eBay. Initial experiments involved cow udders. But the nascent company had no budget to test if cells were really producing milk and Strickland gave up her lab after a few years, in 2016. Then, in 2019, she decided to try again, this time with the support of Michelle Egger, who had worked for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The pair had a commercial lab run a proof-of-concept experiment which showed that the cells were producing the same proteins and sugars found in human breast milk.
Following this success, Bill Gates bought a $3.5 million stake in the company in 2021, which will allow it to scale up the process. Strickland explains the process, saying, “We start with these amazing cells that line a woman’s mammary gland. Using the same techniques that we’ve used for decades to grow cells outside the body, we’re able to reproduce the behaviour these cells have evolved over millions of years, to produce components in quantities that match the baby’s needs.”
To produce its breast milk, BIOMILQ uses similar techniques to those used to grow other cell-based foods, such as cultured meat and dairy. Donated breast tissue and milk cells are fed nutrients and incubated in a bioreactor. Springwise has been following the cultured food industry with great interest, as well as similar innovations such as fats produced through fermentation.
There is no shortage of research demonstrating how vital education is for a wide variety of social and economic outcomes. For example, one additional school year can increase a woman’s earnings by 10 to 20 per cent, and each year of education reduces the risk of conflict by 20 per cent.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of young people completing upper secondary school increased from 54 per cent in 2015 to 58 per cent in 2020. While these figures demonstrate progress, this rate of improvement actually represents a slowdown from the preceding five-year period. And even before the pandemic, projections showed that only 60 per cent of young people would be completing upper secondary education in 2030, indicating a pronounced deceleration in educational progress.
If progress was slowing even before COVID-19 swept the globe, early indications suggest that the pandemic has had a significant detrimental effect on educational outcomes. Figures from UNICEF show that school closures have resulted in 2 trillion hours of lost in-person learning globally. And the impact is likely to be felt the most in low-income countries, with the United Nations expecting a spike in school drop-outs in the coming years.
Against this backdrop, efforts to improve access to education for all age groups are more important than ever, and innovation can play an important role.
Access to schooling
Access to schooling is an obvious place to start a discussion of innovation and education. But the years before a child reaches school age are particularly important for their development. Despite this, only one in five children are enrolled in pre-primary education in low-income countries. In Uzbekistan, educational authorities are using converted buses to bring pre-school classes to the most remote communities.
Participation rates improve once a child reaches primary school age, even in low-income countries. Nonetheless, access to schools can be challenging in many regions, with children required to walk for hours to attend lessons. A non-profit in Madagascar is addressing this issue with 3D-printed schools that can be located closer to homes.
University-level education is the most exclusive of all, with affordability acting as a key barrier to access. For example, in some Southeast Asian countries, the average cost of a university education is nearly double GDP per capita. A Singapore-based startup aims to provide students with affordable financing options by partnering directly with universities to offer subsidised installment plans.
Diversity and inclusion
Education is not only about ensuring children attend class, it’s also about creating an environment where students from all backgrounds can thrive. School can be particularly challenging for migrant children who face cultural as well as language barriers. For example, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are over three years behind non-migrant pupils on average. One Danish startup has developed a language-learning app that helps migrant children navigate differences between their own culture and the culture of their new home.
Learning differences
Inclusion is also of critical importance for students with learning differences. According to UNICEF, only 36 per cent of adolescents with disabilities complete lower secondary education. In response, innovators are developing tools that are tailored to the needs of non-traditional learners. One personalised learning platform offers tailored programmes, and connects students with educators who can provide individualised support. Meanwhile, another startup has developed a voice-based learning app that is specifically designed for those with reading and writing difficulties.
Adult learning
Education isn’t only about children. Target 4.4 within SDG 4, focuses on the importance of technical and vocational skills for youth and adults. On-the-job training is one focus for innovators. For example, a Paris-based startup has leveraged artificial intelligence to develop a human-first employee learning platform.
Adult learning is particularly important for those who find themselves displaced as a result of wars and natural disasters. One language-learning platform is connecting refugees and those from other marginalised groups with employers in the digital economy. The goal is to help disadvantaged candidates break into a sector they might have previously considered out of reach.
Words: Matthew Hempstead
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Spotted: Is the way we cook just as important to the future of our planet as the food we eat? Swedish appliance company Electrolux thinks so, as it has just launched GRO, a reimagining of the traditional kitchen that encourages sustainable and healthy cooking, following the EAT-Lancet planetary diet.
GRO, which means ‘to sprout’ in Swedish, is a new smart kitchen range composed of modular compartments that can be adapted to any home, creating infinite personalised combinations. In addition, there’s also a grain and pulse library designed to showcase the visual diversity of protein sources; a Nordic smoker that infuses food with flavour; and GRO Coach, a smart cooking companion that tracks eating habits and helps make more sustainable choices.
“By challenging conventional thinking of what a kitchen is, we have rethought everything from the start – aiming to help change behaviours by making planet-friendly eating effortless and enjoyable through groundbreaking design,” explains Tove Chevalley, Director CX Innovation Hub Electrolux.
GRO has launched on the Electrolux website, however, there is no set date for the appliances to be released to the general public.
While companies such as Miele and Samsung have created smart appliances, kitchen robots, and sustainable storage solutions, few have created an all-encompassing kitchen like GRO.
Other kitchen innovations recently spotted by Springwise include a new way to dispose of used cooking oil, a kitchen designed for zero-waste production, and an AI system that helps professional kitchens avoid food waste.
Spotted: Researchers at Brown University have developed a material that responds to the presence of bacteria by releasing encapsulated medication. Although still in the research stages, the material could lead to the development of wound dressings that deliver medication only when it is needed. This, in turn, could reduce the use of antibiotics and the growth of antibiotic-resistant infections.
The new material is in the form of a hydrogel, a polymer that is sensitive to a class of enzymes called β-lactamases, that are released by a number of harmful bacteria. In the presence of β-lactamases the hydrogel’s polymer network breaks down, releasing the therapeutic nanoparticles inside.
Hydrogels are already used in wound dressings, and ‘smart’ hydrogels can be used to speed up or slow down the release of medication depending on factors such as temperature and pH. The Brown team hopes to continue developing its hydrogel and eventually test it in a clinical setting.
“We’ve developed a bacteria-triggered, smart drug-delivery system,” said Anita Shukla, an associate professor in Brown’s School of Engineering who led the material’s development. “Our hypothesis is that technologies like this, which reduce the amount of drug that’s required for effective treatment, can also reduce both side effects and the potential for resistance.”
Given the urgency of finding solutions to the issue of AMR, it is no wonder that Springwise has seen a number of innovations in this area. Recent developments have included the use of rapid gene sequencing to find areas with high levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and biomaterials that are naturally antibacterial.
Spotted: Solar power is the world’s fastest-growing form of renewable energy. According to industry advocacy group SolarPower Europe, global solar capacity doubled in the three years from 2018, bringing the world’s solar capacity to one Terawatt in April 2022. While solar power has been slow to see growth in India, a new project in the town of Modhera in Gujarat state may help to change that.
Modhera is the first town in India to run off solar power 24/7. The plan to turn the town fully solar got its start in 2020, when the national government Ministry of New and Renewable Energy put out a tender for the Scheme – a pilot demonstration project intended to show that it was possible to run a small village or town (Modhera has 1400 residents) entirely on solar power.
The tender was to construct a solar photovoltaic power plant, a battery energy storage system, 271 rooftop solar arrays, smart meters, and electric vehicle charging equipment. Renewable energy digital services company GreenPowerMonitor was appointed to supply integrated onsite control, monitoring, data management, and display solutions for the hybrid power plant while Italian solar inverter manufacturer FIMER supplied six power conversion units.
GreenPowerMonitor’s power plant controller and energy management systems allow the batteries and other components to balance the power and storage needs to supply power to the town round the clock – without the need for other power sources. The hope is that this scheme will demonstrate the feasibility of installing similar systems in other rural areas. According to GreenPowerMonitor, “Combining solar PV and batteries in a hybrid project is challenging, but opens a wide range of possibilities to provide 100 percent renewable and clean energy to local communities…we hope that this becomes a standard solution and a benchmark in the renewable energy industry.”
There is no shortage of ideas for using solar power to provide electrification to rural or off-grid areas. Springwise has recently covered a number of these, including a solar refrigerator that brings both cooling and power to off-grid communities and a school on wheels that uses solar power to bring education to remote areas in Uzbekistan.
