09/09-14   -   Press releases

Launch Nordic selects innovators to help revolutionize materials and manufacturing

IKEA Group, Novozymes, Kvadrat, leading scientists, investors and nordic gov. representatives will team up in Malmø to support nine Launch nordic innovators

As part of LAUNCH Nordic, a newly established US-Nordic collaboration, 30 industry executives, materials experts, government officials and investors will gather September 10-11, 2014, for the LAUNCH Nordic Forum to offer insight and guidance to help scale nine innovations in sustainable materials and manufacturing.

"Solving the sustainability challenges of the textile and materials industry is important and requires collaboration between global industry pioneers, government institutions and innovators. I have high expectations that the LAUNCH Nordic innovators can ultimately contribute to providing consumers and purchasers with more environmentally friendly options."

Danish Minister of The Environment, Kirsten Brosbøl

The nine innovators have been selected by LAUNCH Nordic following a public call for innovations. The challenge, which was open from March 14 through June 1st, resulted in 65 applications from more than 20 countries covering five continents. A panel of subject matter experts carefully reviewed all applications, and nine top innovators were selected to participate the LAUNCH Nordic Forum in Malmo, Sweden.

Individually, each innovator can take on tough social and environmental challenges. Add in the scale and expertise of governments and large companies and the positive impact could be huge. We are excited about what the LAUNCH Nordic Forum can achieve and helping to scale new innovations in sustainable materials and textiles.

Håkan Nordkvist, Head of Sustainability Innovation, IKEA Group


The innovators are all selected based on their positive environmental or social impact on the making of materials and textiles.

The top nine LAUNCH Nordic innovators 2014 are (in alphabetic order):
· BETTER COTTON INITIATIVE (Switzerland)
· GREEN LEATHER CRUST (Germany)
· MONOCEL (Norway)
· NANO-DYE (USA)
· PURE WASTE (Finland)
· RE:NEWCELL (Sweden)
· RETURNITY WORKWEAR (Netherland)
· THE EXTENDED CLOSED LOOP (Germany, Student Innovator)
· VIGGA.US (Denmark)
Ranging from student, individuals and teams and from start-ups to established companies, the selected innovators will present their ideas and technologies to the carefully selected LAUNCH Council.

"Initiatives as LAUNCH Nordic are vital to make companies collaborating for more sustainable solutions across sectors. We are looking forward to meet the innovators, share knowledge and hopefully find meaningful and relevant technologies and innovation suitable for co-investment."

Anders Byriel, CEO, Kvadrat


Following the Forum, innovators will take part in an accelerator program to help them bring their ideas to scale.

"What is special about the LAUNCH Nordic Forum is that we have a strong presence of both government, academic and industry. We are looking forward to engage and advice the nine innovators on ways to take their innovations to scale globally.

Claus Stig Pedersen, Head of Sustainability, Novozymes.

The LAUNCH Nordic Council participants include: Håkan Nordkvist, Head of Sustainability Innovation, IKEA, John Frazier, Senior Director of Chemical Innovation, Nike, Anders Byriel, CEO Kvadrat, Eva Gramby, Special Envoy, 3GF/Ministry of Foreign affairs (DK) - together with more than 25 other industry representative, entrepreneurs, scientist and investors. They will provide access to capital, credibility and capacity to help the nine innovators scale globally.
For more information on the challenge please go to:
http://www.launch.org/challenges/nordic

For more information about Innovators and the Forum please contact Sofus Midtgaard, LAUNCH Nordic: 45 30220111 - or sofus@launch.org. For more about LAUNCH Nordic partners please contact:
- IKEA Group: Jamie Rusby, "ŽSustainability Communicator: jamie.rusby@ikea.com
- Danish Ministry of the Environment: Mikkel Stenbæk: 45 40859405 mshan@mst.dk
- Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Eva Grambye, Special Envoy for 3GF, evagra@um.dk
- Novozymes: Debbie Spillane, Corporate Press Officer: DbSp@novozymes.com
- LAUNCH Nordic: Sofus Midtgaard: 30 220 111 sofus@launch.org


Background

LAUNCH Nordic is a global innovation platform by: IKEA, Novozymes, Kvadrat, 3GF, Danish Ministry of the Environment, the Fund for Green Business Development, the City of Copenhagen, The Capital Region of Denmark and Vinnova. LAUNCH Nordic was created in collaboration with LAUNCH founders NASA, NIKE, The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)