Tackle Industry Challenges Through the HiTech Market Pull Track

This year, HiTech 2025 offers research teams an exciting opportunity to work on real-world challenges through the Market Pull Track. These challenges, set by HiSeedTech member companies, address critical industry needs, enabling teams to apply their deep tech expertise in impactful, market-aligned ways.

HiTech 2025: Market Pull Track Challenges

Eight deep tech challenges are posed by Casas Em Movimento, Costa Verde, EFAPEL, INDAQUA, Lameirinho, Sonae Arauco, and UTIS for HiTech 2025. Each challenge aligns with a specific industry goal, giving teams a focused pathway to apply their research and deliver tangible solutions.

1. Buildings In Motion – Voice Control

• HiSeedTech member company: Casas Em Movimento (sponsored by Inventa)
• Goal: Improve the interaction with the Buildings In Motion (voice controls)
• Background: Currently, the buildings In Motion can be controlled though a console. This solution is not, however, ideal, especially for inhabitants with mobility issues, or other physical and health limitations, such as blindness or Parkinsons.
• Requirements: To integrate a voice command system that allows users to control the Buildings In Motion (rotation, illumination, temperature...) without the need of physical support. To improve the inclusiveness and the comfort of their inhabitants. The technologies used should be open source, easily replaceable and upgradable. Preferably, the new system should be customized to answer only specific users (through voice recognition) in order to avoid conflicts when there are multiple people in the building.
• Keywords: Domotics, Voice Command System, Speech Recognition, Open-Source Technology, Smart Buildings.
• Solve this challenge: Apply here

2. FAST: Alternative porcelain sintering

• HiSeedTech member company: Costa Verde
  
• Goal: Develop a sustainable sintering process for porcelain and traditional ceramics, reducing reliance on natural gas to support decarbonization efforts.
• Background: As decarbonization becomes an industry priority, the ceramic manufacturing process, especially sintering porcelain, faces pressure to reduce its carbon footprint. Costa Verde’s challenge seeks sustainable alternatives to traditional sintering, exploring methods that maintain product quality while minimizing environmental impact.
• Requirements: Among different sintering processes, the use of electric field might be an opportunity to sinter faster and with minimal use of natural gas. The application of an electric field to assist sintering can be direct or mediated and based on the use of Joule effect created to increase temperature necessary to densify the ceramic. These techniques, such as Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and Flash Sintering have been used for the sinter of advanced ceramics, with applications of Flash being less common but quite promising.
• Keywords: Sustainable Sintering Processes, Electric Sintering Techniques, Spark Plasma Sintering, Flash Sintering, Ceramic Manufacturing.
• Solve this challenge: Apply here

3. Innovative solution for electronic switches

• HiSeedTech member company: EFAPEL
• Goal: Develop a new solution to reduce components, product height and number of assembling operations.
  
• Background: Some of our products integrate electronics, composed by several layers. We aim to optimize product and productive processes while reducing industrial costs, operations and components.
  
• Requirements: The solution must be in compliance with low voltage, electric and electronic household appliance standards, directives and regulations. It must be compatible with EFAPEL's product range: D40 (domotic product range), Jazz + (surrounding sound system range), with the respective frames for Logus 90 and Apollo 5000. Aim for at least a 20% reduction of industrial cost; the defined solution must be suitable for mass production.
• Keywords: In-Mold Electronics, Molded interconnected devices, Thin Film Electronics, In-Mold Assembly, Hybrid Molding
• Solve this challenge: Apply here

4. Non-invasive repair of leaks in water supply pipelines

• HiSeedTech member company: INDAQUA
  
• Goal: Develop a food-grade sealant capable of repairing non-visible leaks in water supply networks.
  
• Background: Aging infrastructure and the growing scarcity of water resources present critical challenges for water utilities. A solution for non-invasive leak repairs can significantly reduce costly pipeline renovations (CAPEX) and minimize water loss, contributing to the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of water supply systems.
  
• Requirements: The leak sealant must be compliant with EU Drinking Water Directive, fit for HDPE, PVC and other pipelines, be able to seal leaks even when in contact with air, operate in water solutions with chlorine concentrations up to 0,6 mg/L and service pressures from 1 to 9 bar. Each repair must have a lifetime of at least 3 years and reduce the equivalent to 25% of unavoidable annual real losses (IWA standard).
• Keywords: Cured-In-Place Pipe Lining, Pipe Bursting, Splining, Smart Pigs, Sealants and Leak-Repair Compounds (Hydrophilic Polymers, Epoxy-Based Sealants, Self-Healing Materials, Bentonite)
• Solve this challenge: Apply here

5. Treatment and purification of low contamination water

• HiSeedTech member company: Lameirinho
• Goal: Economical treatment of dirty water (fibers, softeners, color, detergents) from washing/softening.
  
• Background: Water that is less contaminated can be separated and treated, re-entering the process, saving resources and promoting sustainability. In textiles, water comes from batch or continuous washing and softening processes.
  
• Requirements: The solution must be economical and comprehensive, applicable to most types of contamination found in batch processing in textiles during washing and softening. It must be scalable and able to measure the quality of incoming water to decide if it needs treatment. The cost should be similar to the price of treated water pumped and collected from rivers.
• Keywords: Water Treatment, Water Reuse, Textile Industry Wastewater, Economic Water Treatment Solutions.
• Solve this challenge: Apply here

6. Textiles structures for electromagnetic protection

• HiSeedTech member company: Lameirinho
• Goal: Identify materials to be used to make or add to a textile for good electromagnetic protection.
  
• Background: Develop fabric to be used to block electromagnetic waves, which can be used in isolated rooms, military tents, and other applications in traditional textiles, where this protection is valued.
  
• Requirements: The materials that are going to be identified, must have a possibility to be woven or connected by coating or lamination. Evaluation of the levels of reduction that are predicted. State-of-the-art information about similar products and their efficiency in protection.
• Keywords: Functional Textiles, Electromagnetic Protection, Conductive Materials, Electromagnetic Wave Blocking, Technical Textiles.
• Solve this challenge: Apply here

7. Surface opacity challenge

• HiSeedTech member company: Sonae Arauco
• Goal: Alternative to Titanium Dioxide to provide opacity to resin impregnated white papers.
• Background: White paper used to surface wood based panels uses titanium dioxide as pigment, with the objective of achieve opacity. An alternative to this component would be interesting for the industry.
• Requirements: The alternative product must be suitable for use in both the impregnation operation and paper production process. It should provide equal or better opacity levels to the impregnated paper, as the impregnation process typically reduces opacity. Additionally, the alternative product must offer better environmental credentials than titanium dioxide and be cost-competitive.
• Keywords: Titanium Dioxide Alternatives, Surface Opacity, Resin-Impregnated Paper, Opacity Enhancement, White Paper Coating.
• Solve this challenge: Apply here

8. Inhibition of biofilm formation in ultrapure water

• HiSeedTech member company: UTIS (a company of the Semapa portfolio).
• Goal: Inhibition of biofilm formation in ultrapure water.
  
• Background: Ultrapure water (<0.1 µS/cm) is essential for sensitive industries, where any impurity risks disrupting critical processes. Maintaining such purity ensures no contaminants compromise manufacturing or research precision.
  
• Requirements: Develop or apply solutions to inhibit biofilm formation within ultrapure water storage and distribution. Solutions must ensure conductivity stays below 0.1 µS/cm to maintain water quality.
• Keywords: Biofilm Inhibition, Extremophiles, Ultrapure Water, Water Conductivity (<0.1 µS/cm), Storage Contamination.
• Solve this challenge: Apply here

HiTech 2025 is a launchpad for research teams to make a real-world impact.

By participating in the program, research teams gain commercialization skills and build connections with industry leaders, equipping them to navigate the journey from lab to market. Whether they focus on a specific industry problem or explore their own technology, HiTech 2025 provides the support and resources researchers need to succeed.

Applications are open now!

To join HiTech 2025 and participate in these challenges - apply here - until January 31. resources researchers need to succeed.

Interested in learning more about the program? Join us for our online and on-site information sessions to get a full overview of HiTech 2025 and ask any questions you have. Check the calendar and register here.

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