The rectory auditorium of NOVA University Lisbon hosted the grand finale of the competition promoted by the NOVA Impact Office
It was, as promised, the opportunity to launch social/environmental impact projects that include at least one of the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2024 edition of NOVA ImpAct! Challenges, a programme created by the NOVA Impact office and Santander Universities, had its Demo Day this Wednesday, where we learned about the best projects to solve social and environmental problems. In addition to congratulations, the winning teams each received a cash prize of €2,000 for the further development of their projects.
Here are the winning teams:
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Circular Foods [NOVA SBE]: Circular Foods aims to reintegrate industrial food waste into a new portfolio of healthy and accessible food and beverage products, designed for customers who struggle to find natural alternatives in the market, with a positive impact on the planet and the community. It differentiates itself from other competitors by prioritising physical and mental health through natural upcycled ingredients, allowing to offer competitive prices due to our circular business model approach.
Team: António Vidinha, Carolina Piloto, José Sarmento, Carlota Moura, and Carlos Morais
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EnsinAI [NOVA IMS]: Empowering students with an AI-powered tutor and gamified platform that provides affordable and engaging education, bridging the gap left by the shortage of teachers and expensive private tutoring. In one line: Quality, engaging, and fun education that is affordable.
Team: Lourenço Martins and Miguel Neto
And the Honourable Mentions:
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Sangue.PT [NOVA ENSP] Aims to develop an app for efficient blood management to reduce waste and increase blood donations. It incentivises blood donors through tailored appeals based on geolocation and current blood type needs. The digital platform also supports education and maintains medical records.
Team: Ana Beatriz, Ana Silva, Elisa Bucho, Francisco Ferreira Pinto, and Gonçalo Lobo
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DentAR Kids [NOVA ENSP]: The DentAR solution, designed to alleviate children’s fear of visiting the dentist, includes an app to familiarise them with procedures before consultations and augmented reality glasses during consultations to make the experience less frightening. This improves treatment effectiveness, saves time and materials for clinics, enhances working conditions, and provides children with a better overall experience and oral health.
Team: Amância Trindade, Mafalda Almeida, and Carolina Santos
The jury was constituted by Isabel Rocha (Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, and Value Creation at NOVA), Nuno Comando (Director of Entrepreneurship and Social Investment at Casa do Impacto), Bárbara Leão (Impact Investments Manager at 3XP Global), and Nuno Simões (Head of Santander Universities).