The University of Aberdeen will be well represented at this year's Converge Challenge with four innovative ventures reaching the final of the competition.
The projects - two academic spinouts and two student start-ups – will compete for the top prizes at the Converge Awards next month (October 1).
The Aberdeen finalists will compete across three categories: The Converge Challenge, Net Zero Challenge and KickStart Challenge.
In the Converge Challenge:
Scensai is developing an affordable handheld electronic nose for beverage quality control. An alternative to subjective human sensory assessment or expensive lab tests, the device gives an objective chemical reading on the production floor, by any member of staff without specialist training. The project is led by Marcus Campbell Bannerman.
In the Net Zero Challenge:
With data centres tripling energy demand by 2030 and GPU shortages stretching beyond six months, Catalyst Neuromorphic is a project led by Henry Shulayev Barnes which offers a neuromorphic processor providing a fundamentally different path for AI hardware.
RapidSOH, led by Patrick Umeadi, is a software platform that enables battery refurbishers to decide within minutes whether used electric vehicle (EV) batteries should be reused or recycled.
In the KickStart Challenge:
Belonging Quotient is a research-led prospective social enterprise from the University of Aberdeen providing a standardised audit and accreditation service for accessibility to neurodivergent people. Led by Shannon Babbie, the project helps organisations enact practical improvements that address sensory barriers and create more welcoming environments.
Dr Heather May Morgan, Vice-Principal (Regional Engagement & Innovation), said: “I’d like to offer my congratulations to all the finalists. It is fantastic to see the University of Aberdeen so well represented at the awards in various categories and for the first time including a social enterprise; this highlights the breadth as well as depth of talent and innovation within the University having impact outside of it.
“We are all extremely proud to see our innovators recognised in what is a highly competitive programme and I wish them all the best of luck at the finals next month.”