Colorado State University Receives Top Honor from Denmark, Spain for Commercializing Technological Innovations

Note to Editors: Photos of technological innovations developed at Colorado State University’s Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory can be found at http://www.newsinfo.colostate.edu/.

The 2008 Royal Award for Sustainable Technology Transfer, protected by HRH Crown Prince Felipe of Spain and HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, was presented to Colorado State University at COPENMIND this week for clean tech innovations in three different areas: an international clean cookstove project, two-stroke engine conversion kit and the next generation of biofuels production from algae.

The first clean tech project from Colorado State University recognized at COPENMIND is its clean cookstove project which represents a $25 million commitment from the Shell Foundation to CSU startup Envirofit International to design, build and disseminate 10 million cookstoves to the developing world in the next five years. In addition, the university developed a bolt-on, direct-injection retrofit kit for carbureted two-stroke engines that are major polluters in many developing countries – also a product of Envirofit. This is an easily installed, direct-injection retrofit technology that drastically reduces pollution to within acceptable environmental standards while improving fuel economy more than 35 percent. Finally, the university’s mechanical and chemical engineers have commercialized technology that can cheaply mass produce oil derived from algae and turn it into biodiesel – an environmentally friendly solution to high gas prices, greenhouse gas emissions and volatile energy markets that is being commercialized under the name Solix Biofuels.

The overall purpose of the Royal Award for Sustainable Technology Transfer 2008 is to recognize outstanding achievements in technology transfer for sustainability. The Award goes to universities successful in transferring technology that improves operational performance, productivity, or efficiency while reducing costs, the use of natural resources and waste production.

Professor Bryan Willson, director of the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory at Colorado State University whose leadership resulted in the creation of Envirofit and Solix, said, "We believe in a proactive approach to technology transfer; an approach to ensure the maximum benefit to society is achieved. We are honored to receive the Royal Award for Sustainable Technology Transfer here at COPENMIND."

"We are honored to have hosted this important award and believe that COPENMIND has served as an ideal venue," said Steffen Moldow, founder of COPENMIND. "COPENMIND has created a platform upon which research and industry from across the world can meet in one place and develop partnerships and solutions to one of the most pressing issues facing the world today – climate change."

The distinguished jury, chaired by Domingo Jimenez Beltran, consisted of Karen Laigaard, director of Technology Transfer at Copenhagen University, Jeff Skinner, executive director of the Foundation for Entrepreneurial Management, and Stig Hirsbak, chief advisor on Climate Change and Eco-Innovation at Gronntmij Carl Bro.

With the award to Colorado State University, the Royal Award for Sustainable Technology Transfer has fulfilled its mission of recognizing universities that are implementing technology transfer aimed at improving operational performance, productivity, or efficiency (preferably by harnessing renewable materials and energy sources) while reducing costs, inputs, the use of natural resources, energy and/or water consumption, waste, emissions and pollution.

The other finalists presenting their innovations at COPENMIND were the University of Cyprus, showing a novel, selective catalytic reduction process for NOx. Finally, the University of New South Wales, Australia, was presenting a polymer-injection technology for recycling plastic waste in improved steel production from scrap.

ABOUT THE ROYAL AWARD  

The Royal Awards for Sustainability was initiated in 1996 by the European Environment Agency (http://www.eea.europa.eu/) with the purpose of promoting sustainable development by rewarding excellent performance and best practices. Over the years awards have been granted in different areas such as Urban Innovation, Responsible Investments, Green Food and Sustainable Tourism. The Royal Awards are protected by HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and HRH Crown Prince Felipe of Spain. For more information, please visit http://www.royalawards.org/.

ABOUT COPENMIND

COPENMIND – a groundbreaking exhibition and conference dedicated to research, technology and innovation through university-industry partnerships – will create a global and dedicated forum enabling commercial matchmaking between university exhibitors and industry executives on a scale that has never been seen before. The theme for 2008 is cleantech, specifically the role of technology in solving global environment and climate challenges. For more information, please visit http://www.copenmind.com.

For more information on the research projects from Colorado State University, go to http://green.colostate.edu/ or visit http://www.energy.colostate.edu/.

-30-