Concrete, AI and Drones: The winners of The Bright Idea are awarded DKK 550,000

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Three groundbreaking projects within green technology and sustainability were honored when the Otto Mønsted Foundation presented The Bright Idea Award 2024 on Wednesday. The award, presented during the Digital Tech Summit in Øksnehallen, Copenhagen, is an annual tribute to talented researchers and entrepreneurs who develop innovative ideas for the benefit of society and business.

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This year, the Otto Mønsted Foundation has awarded a total prize sum of DKK 550,000 to give entrepreneurs the financial backing to further develop their projects.

“We can’t help but feel very confident when we see the inspiration and creativity combined with high-tech insights that researchers and students contribute. It’s a great pleasure to be able to reward the good ideas with a financial boost. It brings us closer to the important goals of a higher degree of sustainability in the construction sector, reduction in scrap waste and resource extraction, and energy-saving flying robot technology. The common thread in this year’s submissions remains green – thankfully. Because that’s what we as a society and business need,” says Vibeke Svenden, board member of the Otto Mønsted Foundation.

Big prizes for researchers from AU and DTU

This year, the award was presented in two categories, “Late-stage” and “Early-stage,” with the winners in each category receiving DKK 250,000 and a bronze statuette created by artist Stine Ring.

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In the Late-stage category, Maryam Homayounzadeh, a postdoc at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Aarhus University, took the win. Her project, GreenELBO (Green Electronic Boards), utilizes artificial intelligence in microcontroller chips to reduce the size of printed circuit boards and reduce the need for scarce metals. The product has the potential to significantly reduce electronic scrap and CO₂ emissions.

In the Early-stage category, Luise Charlotte Dennin and Annika Bang Thomsen from DTU received the award for their project Circrete, which is about recycling concrete in the construction industry. Their idea focuses on transforming concrete slabs from storey partitions into new building elements, which can create a more sustainable construction industry by minimizing resource consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Runner-up award for drone project for the energy sector

This year, the jury awarded an extra runner-up prize of DKK 50,000 to a team from the University of Southern Denmark for their drone technology project. The team, led by Nicolaj Haarhøj Malle, is working on a drone that can charge itself while performing tasks in the energy infrastructure. The award comes with mentorship from Karina Bergstrøm Larsen, an experienced entrepreneur and co-founder of SatCom1.

The great interest in the award and the many sustainable projects show that Danish entrepreneurs are working hard to solve global challenges with technology and innovation. With the support of the Otto Mønsted Foundation, the award-winning ideas are now one step closer to realization.