Objavljamo nov sveženj izzivov gospodarstva.
Tokrat prednjačijo izzivi s področja biotehnologije in farmacije, dva sta s področja krožnega gospodarstva in en s področja designa.
CHIESI Technologies to Address Distribution of Macromolecules in Hard-to-reach Tissues
- 🔋 Chiesi Global Rare Diseases is seeking research proposals for new technologies from academic medical centres, universities, and research institutions globally. Their objective is to award funds to validate early‑stage projects with clear therapeutic potential.
- 💡 Chiesi is seeking new technologies with key attributes including some of the following: (1) Potential for platform development (for example to address multiple indications). (2) Preliminary preclinical evidence to support feasibility of technology. (3) Innovative models for technology validation (e.g., organoids). (4) Strong potential for clinical impact.
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 31st May 2022
ASHLAND Controlled Activation of Amine or Amide Hardeners for Industrial Coatings
- 🔋 Ashland provides a full range of additives used to enhance the performance and efficacy of many different speciality coatings. The line includes organic and inorganic polymers and products used to affect rheology, gloss, application, and foam control. Ashland is looking to develop IP protected, scalable, ingredient delivery technology that enables the controlled activation of amine or amide hardeners for industrial coatings within a one‑component system.
- 💡 Approaches of Interest: (1) The materials of interest include, but not exclusive to: modified cycloaliphatic amine adducts, modified cycloaliphatic polyamines, modified aliphatic amines, and polyamidoamine adducts. (2) As a first step, the technology should be in a physical form (slurry or powder; >80% a.i./kg product) that can demonstrate capsule or payload stability (retain >99.8% a.i. for 30 days at 25°C and 60°C) for retention of the active ingredient. (3) As a second step, the technology should then be able to demonstrate payload release mechanism (release 100% a.i., due to shear, pH, coalescence, radiation, etc.), shear stability (retain >99.8% a.i. for coating manufacturing, storage, application e.g., spray, brush, roll), chemical stability (retain 99.8% a.i. in water, polar or non‑polar solvents for 30 days at 25°C and 60°C) and have a particle size of <= 50µm. (4) Technologies of the highest interest will possess dry coating film properties (evaluate effects on gloss, haze, hardness, DOI, transparency, hiding, film defects, grit, cratering, viscosity), a cost guidance of $1.5 USD/kg, but not higher than $5 USD/kg, lack toxicity (i.e., no systemic health hazards, non‑carcinogenic, non‑mutagenic, and no VOC increase), and be registered or exempt from the target market chemical inventories (TSCA, REACH).
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 31st May 2022
IN-PART Novel Approaches to DNA and RNA Synthesis
- 🔋 A global life sciences measurement and tools company with cutting-edge capabilities in genomic analysis and quality assurance wishes to identify novel approaches for scalable synthesis of oligonucleotides.
- 💡 Approaches of Interest: (1) There is a particular interest in the use of enzymatic approaches, including those that combine chemical and enzymatic synthesis methods. (2) Innovative approaches to traditional oligonucleotide synthesis may also be of interest if these have demonstrable benefits. (3) High fidelity is crucial.
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 31st May 2022
ENEL Innovative technologies to recover Secondary Raw Materials from End-of-Life PV Modules
- 🔋 Growing PV panel waste presents a new environmental challenge, but also unprecedented opportunities to create value and pursue new economic revenues. These include recovery of raw material and the creation of new solar PV end of-life industries.
- 💡 Enel Green Power is looking for sustainable and innovative recycling processes to recover Secondary Raw Materials (SRM) from end-of-life PV modules (including early failed modules), aiming at increasing recovery rates, recovery material quality and minimizing waste production.
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 5th June 2022
HEALX Seeking Opportunities for the Treatment of Rare or Orphan Diseases
- 🔋 Healx, an AI-powered, patient-inspired, biotech company, is seeking rare disease therapeutic opportunities from academic, patient groups or (early-stage) biotechs. Healx, along with their partners, aim to quickly turn research into treatments that benefit the rare disease community, and Healx will manage the costs of clinical trials and regulatory submissions for all selected opportunities (subject to final deal terms).
- 💡 Approaches of Interest: (1) Open to all rare or orphan diseases (prevalence <5/10,000) with current unmet medical needs, with a particular interest in rare neurodevelopmental, neuromuscular, renal, liver, ophthalmology, and bone diseases, including diseases already in Healx’s pipeline. (2) Ideally, the rare or orphan indication has a well-characterised natural history, established clinical trial endpoints and/or biomarkers and, if applicable, sufficient patients willing and able to participate in clinical trials.
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 7th June 2022
XENCOR Seeking Novel Anti-tumour Antibodies
- 🔋 Xencor is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of bispecific antibodies and cytokine drugs. Xencor is currently seeking monoclonal antibodies directed against tumour-associated antigens, for incorporation into their clinically validated T cell engager platform.
- 💡 Approaches of Interest: (1) The highest priority is given to novel, solid tumour targets. (2) There is also interest in antibodies against well-known tumour targets but with novel/differentiated epitopes. (3) Targets expressed specifically on tumour cells are of the highest interest, with stromal targets are still of interest. (4) Cancers of interest include but are not limited to ovarian, breast (especially TNBC), head and neck, lung, colon, prostate, kidney, oesophageal, bladder and liver. (5) Key data sets should include: Tumour vs normal expression (RNA and/or immunohistochemistry), antibody affinity and selectivity, and antibody binding to representative tumour cell lines.
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 7th June 2022
EUROFARMA Druggable Antibacterial Targets and Bactericidal Compounds
- 🔋 Eurofarma is a Brazilian multinational pharmaceutical company engaged in biopharmaceuticals. Eurofarma is currently seeking validated targets, novel compounds, and/or adjuvant compounds for antibacterial drugs/therapies.
- 💡 Approaches of Interest: (1) The highest priority is given to opportunities involving validated targets and small molecule drugs, synthetics and natural products are also within scope, but there is less interest in peptide-based approaches. (2) Priority will be given to bactericidal compounds, however, bacteriostatic and adjuvant compounds are also of some interest. (3) There is a particular interest in approaches that target Gram‑negative bacteria and ESKAPE pathogens, or other bacterial pathogens related to antimicrobial resistance. (4) Opportunities targeting mycobacteria are out of the scope of this campaign. (5) There is an interest in molecules with specific pathogen activities as well as broad‑spectrum antibiotics. (6) Antibiotic discovery platforms are also of interest.
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 14th June 2022
GRÜNENTHAL Novel Druggable Entities for the Treatment of Key Human Pain Indications
- 🔋 Grünenthal is a global leader in pain management, seeking new chemical entities and novel targets with first‑in‑class potential for the treatment of pain in humans. Grünenthal is also interested in discovering the global hotspots of pain research. They are also looking to unearth experts and leaders in the field within the scope of the call.
- 💡 Approaches of Interest: (1) Analgesic candidate molecules demonstrating significant pain relief properties. (2) Targets must be linked to nociceptive pathways. (3) New compounds that provide pain relief/ therapeutic benefit in the following indications: osteoarthritic pain, peripheral neuropathic pain, chronic low back pain and prevention of post‑surgical chronic pain. (4) They are modality agnostic in regards to new chemical entities, e.g. Small molecule, peptides, biologics, therapeutic antibodies, antisense molecules. (5) Non‑clinical validation should be achieved in human models (genetic evidence, cell, or tissue), human iPSC neurons, and hDRG models are of particular interest. (6) To consider animal models, they must have human genetic information for the target/pathway.
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 21st June 2022
IN-PART Seeking Solutions for Soybean Speed Breeding
- 🔋 A plant breeding and biotechnology company working on innovative genetic solutions for agriculture is seeking technical solutions to allow the cultivation and crossing of soybeans within a 60-day lifecycle (from sowing to seed harvest). The client is particularly interested in growth regulators in combination with indoor cultivation protocols to overcome flowering delay (long juvenile traits) and speed up the lifecycle in tropical or subtropical soybean varieties.
- 💡 Approaches of Interest: (1) Growth regulators in combination with indoor breeding protocols (e.g. light systems) to allow a 60-day full lifecycle. (2) The protocol must allow the obtention of viable seeds via selfing individual plants or the obtention of F1 seeds by artificial hybridization between soybean parental lines grown under the provided protocol/treatments. (3) Technical solutions related to subtropical varieties with maturity groups 5 to 8.5. (4) Protocols that have been validated in lower maturity groups (<5) but are applicable to soybeans with maturity groups 5 to 8.5. (5) Only indoor cultivation methods are within the scope of this call. (6) Cost-effective lighting/climate systems. (7) Growth regulators should be synthesised cost-efficiently, and should also be sprayable and scalable. (8) RNAi technologies to silence growth-affecting genes will be considered. (9) Solutions validated within soybean are preferred due to their specific photoperiod response. (10) Already commercially available or late-stage solutions known to allow an 80-90 day lifecycle in late maturity soybeans will also be considered.
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 21st June 2022
- 🔋 LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is a clean and efficient fuel that can be used in a variety of applications, including cooking, heating, and transportation. LPG usage in India has increased dramatically in recent years, currently with over 300 million domestic users and 28 million tonnes of LPG used last year. SHV Energy also has a strong presence in the Indian market through our business unit SUPERGAS, with over 550 employees.
- 💡 SHV Energy is looking for pathways that can produce saturated C3/C4 hydrocarbons (LPG – propane and/or butane/iso-butane) from sustainable feedstocks with yields that could ultimately be scaled to make production commercially viable. The saturated C3/C4 hydrocarbon may be a co-product with other similarly valuable components.
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 31st July 2022
ENEL New design for sustainable Enel Primary Substation
- 🔋 Enel Global Infrastructure Networks is looking for a new design and architectural concept for the construction of a new and innovative sustainable building system dedicated to primary substations.
- 💡 The new sustainable Enel Primary Substation must have innovative features in terms of design, materials and construction, incorporating principles of sustainability within a circular design approach; the substation must fully integrate in and garner the acceptance of the environmental and social contexts it is installed in. The new design must allow the observance of the technical and safety regulations currently complied with as well as maintaining the full functionality of the substation and equipment installed inside.
⏱️ Challenge deadline: 31st August 2022