The Innovation Award is presented annually at Technopol Wiener Neustadt. Six winning projects were honoured by ecoplus authorised signatory Claus Zeppelzauer, accent Managing Director Michael Moll, Thilo Schmalz, Technology Transfer Manager tecnet equity, and FHWN Managing Director Armin Mahr . The topics range from recycling coffee grounds and training models for dental surgery to food made from_CO2 and green electricity.

In 2024, AC²T was the winner in the category “Innovations in the fields of materials, surface technologies, sensor technology, circular economy and energy”.

“From Waste to Value: Spent Coffee Grounds Oil” by Jessica PICHLER and Marcella FRAUSCHER was awarded 1st place. This project is about utilising coffee grounds to produce high-quality oils and lubricants for industry. The great advantage of this approach is that a valuable material is produced from waste, which can achieve a remarkable performance in lubricant applications.