BISC-E
The Bio-based Innovation Student Challenge Europe (BISC-E), organized by the End-of-Waste/RE-SOURCE.BIO and GREEN-CHEM networks from AUGent, encourages students to explore innovation and business development in the emerging bioeconomy while developing a new biobased product or process. The challenge is open for all Bachelor and Master students (+ PhDs as coaches).
And meet some of our past participants:
Team Valorised Carbon
Team Vsycle
What is the BISC-E Competition?
All student (Ba/Ma) teams develop a bio-based innovation (product or process) and present their ideas via a 15' live presentation to a jury of experts from industry and science during the Belgian final. The presentation has to be accompanied by a participation file with a few supporting documents explaining sustainability, technical feasibility and economic viability of your innovation.
The jury will first assess all applications via an online preselection based on a recorded presentation and the supporting documents. The 3 best teams will be selected for the Belgian finals to actually present for the live jury, followed by some Q & A. The winning team will receive personal coaching and will compete in the EU finals in Autumn.
All rules can be found in this regulation document.
"The BISC-E Competition was a stepping stone towards our start-up! You really learn how to tackle multiple aspects of a business case." - Team Loaf Foam (2021 winner from HoGent)
Would you like to compete in the Belgian BISC-E Student Challenge 2025?
To register for the 2025 BISC-E, just send an email to endofwaste@ugent.be with your potential team name, team participants and basic concept. Also, if you only have an idea and no team or a motivated team, but no idea, feel free to reach out, so we can help or bring you in contact with some coaches!
To compete, participants need to fill out this participation form with your slide deck and submit it to endofwaste@ugent.be before 14 April 2025.
14 April 2025 - Submission Deadline
The final date on which you can submit your biobased innovation business case
24 April 2025 - Finals at Tech Tour Ghent
Present your business case to some of the biggest players in the international academic and industrial sector during the finals to select the Belgian gold, silver and bronze finalists.
18 April 2025 - Prefinals (optional if >3 teams submit)
The prefinals to select the top 3 teams will take place 18 april 2025 at 3pm at Campus Coupure (Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent).
Q3 2025 - EU Finals
The winner of the Belgian competition will compete with the other national teams in Q3 2025. You can find more info about it here
"It's fun to do, a valuable experience and you can really have an impact. Just go for it!" - Team Valorised Carbon (2022 winner from UGent)
What's in it for the students?
The competition offers valuable experience to kick-start your career or business idea, the option to network with some of the biggest players in the industrial and academic sector and multiple prizes:
Some of our past participants
Team Charbrick
In 2024, team Charbrick won the Belgian competition by integrating biochar production with cement manufacturing. Biochar from pyrolysis of spent coffee grounds is mixed in the cement, rendering a better concrete. Coupling the liberated green energy from pyrolysis moreover reduces the fuel requirement for cement by 50%.
They will compete at the European finals in September.
Team Vsycle
In 2023, team VSycle won the Belgian edition! They clearly impressed the jury with their greener alternative to fire pots, i.e. a sprayable antifreeze product based on antifreeze proteins to protect blossoms against (spring) frost. The team got some scientific and business advice from the coaches and went on to win second place at the European finals.
