Videos pre-finalist 2023

The pre-finalists for the Innovation Award, the Amsterdam competition for innovative ideas that contribute to a better world.

Visit the showcase pages to see each pre-finalists showcase their idea through a personal video.

Universities
HvA UvA VU Amsterdam UMC ACTA

Ewelina Weglarz-Tomczak (UvA): Lysosomal protease inhibitors for Alzheimer’s

Ewelina Weglarz-Tomczak (UvA): Novel lysosomal protease inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease Highly specified proteases are the key regulators in the molecular mechanism of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease. AI-powered technology developed by NatInLab has led to the discovery of how those proteases are controlled in the human organism. Based on this knowledge, developing novel, […]

Jonathan de Long (UvA): Mitigating drought effects on grassland productivity

Jonathan de Long (UvA): Mitigating drought effects on grassland productivity by understanding grass-fungi-drought soil legacy interactions Drought events are becoming more frequent and more intense. This results in decreases in grassland productivity and financial losses for farmers. Upon rewetting after drought, so-called drought soil legacy effects can lead to carbon and nitrogen losses from the soil. […]

Lukas Helmbrecht (AMOLF and UvA): LumetalliX

Lukas Helmbrecht (AMOLF and UvA): LumetalliX – spray and make Lead light up! Lead is a highly toxic substance that causes permanent brain damage, affecting one in three children globally as stated by UNICEF. The toxic lead is all around us. For example in paint, household items and even children’s toys. Unfortunately, detecting lead is […]

Matteo Mazzanti (UvA): Novel quantum logic gates architecture

Matteo Mazzanti (UvA): Novel quantum logic gates architecture with trapped ions and optical tweezers There are complex problems that classical computers struggle to solve. For example, route optimization, drug design, and material discovery all require extraordinary computational power. Quantum computers are central in the solution to this problem. However, today’s quantum computers are difficult to […]

Olivier Lugier (UvA): Nano Hybrids

Olivier Lugier (UvA): Green synthesis of hybrid core-shell nanoparticles (Nano Hybrids) Nanomaterials are extremely small materials with unique properties due to their size. They are said to revolutionize many technological fields with high societal impact, like sustainable energy, catalysis and biomedicine. The problem is that their synthesis methods are often complex and polluting, which limits […]

Sara Geven (UvA): On track

Sara Geven (UvA): On track: a scientifically-informed ability tracking procedure to enhance equal learning opportunities Students in the Netherlands are allocated to different educational tracks at the age of twelve based on their teacher’s recommendation. Studies show students from disadvantaged backgrounds receive less ambitious track recommendations. Even within the same school, teachers use different tracking […]