University of Amsterdam: Amsterdam Science & Innovation Awards 2021
Tom Brouwer (digital urine scale, Amsterdam UMC), Arnon Lesage (nano foil, UvA) and Desi Bootsman (dyslexia game for children, AUAS) will each receive € 10,000 to further develop their idea and bring it to the market.
The Innovation Awards are an initiative of the knowledge transfer office of the Amsterdam Universities – Innovation Exchange Amsterdam (IXA). With the Awards, IXA offers innovative, research-based ideas that positively contribute to society and Amsterdam researchers a platform.
Tom Brouwer won in the category Health with Flowsure, an automated urine production monitor that indicates real-time how much a patient urinates, a vital indicator of the patient’s condition.
In the category Society, the award went to Desi Bootsman (AUAS) for Mazehunter, a game with which children with dyslexia learn by playing.
Arnon Lesage received the award in the category Environment & Climate for SolarFoil: a new type of nano foil that converts sunlight into optimal light for crops and plants in agriculture and horticulture.
The jury of the fifteenth edition of the Innovation Awards was chaired by Gigi Wang, an entrepreneurial specialist and affiliated with Berkeley University. She also had a call for young researcher: ‘To make your idea profitable, it is also very important to think carefully about the innovation of your business model. How do you bring it to the market?’
Impact Awards for Halleh Ghorashi, Jeroen Kluck and Hergen Spits
Three leading researchers received an Impact Award for their many years of meaningful contribution to society.
Halleh Ghorashi (VU) conducts research on refugees and diversity. She mainly focuses on the stories of refugees and migrants, because: ‘Policy is often based on numbers, but that doesn’t get you close to the world of the people you make policy for.’
Jeroen Kluck (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences) conducts research into climate adaptation in cities. ‘Guidelines for climate resilience have been developed on the basis of my research. We need to move to cities that are liveable and healthy all year round, with a focus on biodiversity.’
Hergen Spits (UvA and Amsterdam UMC) conducts scientific research into B cells. These are the cells in the human body that produce antibodies, which can be used to fight the RS virus in children, for example. ‘The great thing is that B cell research can also be applied to other viral infections, such as flu, and even cancer.’