Initiative promoted by TecMinho awarded prizes and services totalling 6370 euros
A system that uses microalgae to convert biogas into biomethane, providing clean and sustainable energy, has won 1st prize in SpinUM – the University of Minho’s Business Ideas Competition. The project is called ‘PhotoUp’ and involves researchers Leandro Madureira, Pedro Geada, Salomé Duarte, Filipe Maciel, Daniel Madalena, as well as Maria Silva and Alcina Pereira.
‘Biomethane is a substitute for natural gas, one of the EU’s main sources of fossil energy, which can thus move towards energy autonomy and decarbonisation,’ says the team, linked to the Centre for Biological Engineering (CEB) at UMinho’s School of Engineering.
The final of this 14th edition of SpinUM was promoted by the TecMinho interface, took place from 2.30pm to 6pm in the B-Lounge of UMinho’s general library in Guimarães and distributed cash prizes and support services for business creation totalling 6370 euros. The jury included Katiuska Cruz, from the National Innovation Agency (ANI); José Verónico, from Portugal Ventures; Margarida Rossi, from the Minho Business Association; and Sandra Paiva, vice-rector for Research and Innovation at UMinho.
Exceptionally, the “Best Pitch” award was also given to the “Shoestainable” team, made up of first-year students of the Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management, Rodrigo Fontão, Cláudia Nogueira, Filipa Furtado and Maria Loureiro, who aim to produce sustainable car mats from discarded footwear. This project began in the Integrated Project in Industrial Engineering and Management I course, taught by Professor Anabela Alves, a lecturer in the Department of Production and Systems at the School of Engineering at UMinho.
The other projects presented were ‘DeepCalm’ (precision and safety in general anaesthesia), ‘Gia’Tech’ (physical asset management) and ‘TALIA’ (telemedicine with AI for early diagnosis of chronic diseases). This year there were 18 high-quality applications from the academic community, which led to one additional application being selected for the final.
The annual competition aims to support innovative and technological business ideas in any field linked to students, researchers and entrepreneurs from the academic community. The initiative has been a milestone in the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, boosting projects with the potential to transform the market and society. SpinUM is co-financed by the ‘TecMinho Incubation HUB’, supported by the PRR – Recovery and Resilience Plan and the NextGeneration EU European Funds.
Finalist projects
* DeepCalm – Precision and Safety in General Anaesthesia, by Filipa Nogueira
* EcoLignin – Sustainable solutions for the valorisation of lignin, by Michele Cerqueira and Francieli Colussi
* Gia’Tech – Physical Asset Management, by Carlos Santos and Ailton Moreira da Veiga
* PhotoUp CH4 – Upgrading biogas to biomethane using microalgae, by Leandro Madureira, Pedro Geada, Maria Duarte, José Maciel and Daniel Madalena
– Shoestainable, by Rodrigo Fontão, Cláudia Nogueira, Filipa Furtado and Maria Loureiro
– TALIA – Integrated Telemedicine Platform with Artificial Intelligence for Early Diagnosis of Chronic Diseases, by Leonel Patrício, Maria Varela and Zilda Silveira
The School of Engineering congratulates all the participating and winning teams and, in particular, the members of our community!
+Info: www.tecminho.uminho.pt/noticia/apurados-os-finalistas-do-spinum-2025, http://www.tecminho.uminho.pt/noticia/photoup-vence-o-spinum-2025
