LAUNCH founders NASA, NIKE, Inc., the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of State will host the LAUNCH Green Chemistry Forum at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on January 23 and 24, 2015. 

LAUNCH is an open innovation platform that was founded in 2010 to identify and foster breakthrough solutions to create a more sustainable world.  LAUNCH aims to move beyond incremental change and make an impact at a system-wide level. 

Innovators from twelve countries around the world submitted their solutions in the area of green chemistry as part of this year’s LAUNCH System Challenge: Green Chemistry.  Ten innovators from the U.S., Canada and Brazil were chosen as LAUNCH finalists and will participate in the Forum, where they will present their solutions and engage in moderated discussions with LAUNCH Council members, who represent business, investment, international development, policy, science and sustainability sectors.  Collaboration with the LAUNCH Council is designed to provide innovators with the opportunity to receive feedback and guidance on how best to develop their ideas and technologies and to build networks that will help them bring their solutions to scale for greater impact.

LAUNCH is currently focused on positively transforming the system of materials and manufacturing, which can have dramatic social, environmental and economic impacts on the world.  In order to harness the innovation needed to advance this system, LAUNCH has issued a series of global challenges to address key barriers.  The LAUNCH System Challenge:  Green Chemistry called for technologies, platforms, services or business models that can deliver high performing materials and treatments while adhering to or enabling green chemistry principles.

The LAUNCH Council is pleased to announce the 10 innovators selected from the LAUNCH System Challenge:  Green Chemistry:

Innovator:  Fernando Pecoraro, AMBIEVO S.A., RECOY 

Innovation:  Soil Washing (Hydrocarbon recovery)

Soil washing technology that is focused on solutions that increase energy, water and raw materials efficiency.

Innovator:  Sue Wang, AnCatt

Innovation:  Heavy Metal Free Anti-Corrosion Coating Platform

The first heavy metal free, heavy-duty, anti-corrosion coating that also provides unprecedented corrosion protection.

Innovator:  Marty Dugan, ANDalyze Inc.

Innovation:  Real-Time Heavy Metals Analysis for Pollution Prevention

A product for heavy metal testing in water that solves the problem of getting fast, accurate, onsite reading of heavy metal concentration to prevent people from drinking contaminated water.

Innovator:  Louise Batchelor, BioAmber, BioAmber

Innovation:  A Renewable Chemical Company

A sustainable chemical company that combines industrial biotechnology and chemical catalysis to convert renewable feed stocks into chemicals for use in every day products, including plastics, paints and polyurethanes.

Innovator:  Rey Banatao, Connora Technologies Inc.

Innovation:  Recyclable Thermoset Composites for Lightweight Vehicles

A revolutionary thermoset resin system capable of changing market dynamics in the recycling of thermoset composite materials.

Innovator:  Brian Mariampillai, Forward Water

Innovation:  Switchable Water Forward Osmosis

Allowing more effective, low cost, low energy treatment of high salinity wastewater.

Innovator:  Monica Becker, Green Chemistry & Commerce Council

Innovation:  Green Chemistry & Commerce Council Innovation Portal

A web-based platform for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and inspiration where innovators and technology seekers connect to accelerate the development of safer chemistry and products.

Innovator:  Michael Waggoner, Grow Plastics LLC

Innovation:  Sandwich core bioplastic structures

A technology for producing products from bioplastics that perform better than solid oil-based plastics, and use less than half the material, lowering both cost and CO2 emission.

Innovator:  Molly Morse, Mango Materials

Innovation:  Producing Bioplastics From Waste Methane Gas

Transforming waste methane into biodegradable plastics that are economically and functionally competitive with oil-based plastics.

Innovator:  Paul Hintze, NASA, Kennedy Space Center

Innovation:  Green Processes for Precision Cleaning

Solvent-free, precision cleaning processes that use renewable feed stocks to meet a range of precision cleaning requirements, eliminating the release of harmful cleaning solvents.

A link to a live video feed of the presentations and additional information on the LAUNCH partnership is available online at: http://www.launch.org.

LAUNCH

LAUNCH

LAUNCH is an open innovation platform that was founded by NASA, NIKE, The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and The U.S. Department of State to identify and foster breakthrough ideas for a more sustainable world. LAUNCH aims to move beyond incremental change and make an impact at a system-wide level. LAUNCH is currently focused on positively transforming the system of materials and manufacturing, which can have dramatic social, environmental and economic impacts on the world. In order to harness the innovation needed to advance this system, LAUNCH has issued a series of global challenges to address key barriers. Our current challenge focuses on green chemistry, a crucial component in a sustainable materials and manufacturing system. A portfolio of approximately 10 innovators will be selected for support, networking, and mentoring from influential business and government leaders.

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