The Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board is pleased to announce its 2022 Soy Innovation Challenge, hosted in conjunction with Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research at the University of Louisville.
Soybeans and their components are incredibly versatile materials, used in hundreds if not thousands of industrial and commercial applications daily. The renewable, sustainable nature of soy is highly desirable for consumers, retailers, and product manufacturers alike.
Student teams from UofL, Bellarmine University, Sullivan University, and Jefferson Community & Technical College, under the direction of their respective faculty mentors and Conn Center, will formulate and submit preliminary concepts via the link provided below. The Soybean Board and/or staff will review the submitted concepts. Four to five (4-5) selected concepts will be awarded $2,000-$3,000 seed money to develop those concepts over the course of the following 2-3 months.
Preliminary concepts are due by September 15 at 11:59 pm. Invited full proposals are due December 12 at 11:59 pm.
Selected teams will compete to create novel products or materials using soybeans and/or their components. The focus is on the production or implementation of an example product or material.
Student/mentor teams will brainstorm product ideas, create a production timeline, conduct patent searches, develop a market analysis, document the technical process of creating their product/material, design packaging, and market their product/material.
Those proposals will be presented to the Soybean Board for final review at the end of the 2022 fall semester.
The first-place team will receive $10,000, second-place team will receive $5,000.
For full details, visit:
“By engaging the student community from colleges and Universities in Louisville, we hope to recruit diversely skilled students who will look at soy products, applications and economics for their untapped potential,” said Dr. Jagannadh Satyavolu, Theme Leader for Biofuels at Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research and coordinator for the Soy Innovation Challenge.
The Soy Innovation Challenge is open to all currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Louisville, Bellarmine University, Sullivan University, and Jefferson Technical & Community College.
Learn more about the 2021 Soy Innovation Challenge winners!
Contact Dr. Jagannadh Satyavolu for more information at jagannadh.satyavolu@louisville.edu
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