Global Student Challenge
Solve It with Biosolutions (BIOSOL2026)
Win a 7-day trip to Denmark, with international travel, accommodation, meals, and local transportation during the official programme included!
Share your vision for a sustainable, biology-based solution to a challenge in your community and gain international visibility.
Welcome to BIOSOL2026!
Are you currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree programme, or did you complete a bachelor’s degree on or after 6 October 2025? Then this competition might be for you!
BIOSOL2026 invites you to share your vision for addressing a local challenge through a sustainable, biology-based approach. You do not need access to a laboratory, advanced equipment, or professional video-production experience; we are looking for a clear and creative idea.
This challenge is organized in connection with the MSc Programme in Biosolutions at the University of Copenhagen and is hosted at Campus Kalundborg, home to one of the most innovative industrial symbiosis clusters in Europe.
By participating, you will not only showcase your ideas to a global audience, but you will also earn the unique opportunity to visit Denmark’s Campus Kalundborg, connect with MSc students and researchers, and experience firsthand how biosolutions are applied in collaboration with industry.
Create a short video (60–120 seconds) answering the question:
“What biosolution would you propose to solve an important challenge in your community or region?”
Your idea could relate to areas such as:
- Food, agriculture, and nutrition
- Sustainable biomanufacturing, fermentation, and downstream processing
- Climate, renewable energy, and bio-based materials
- Circular economy and side-stream valorisation
- Soil, water, and environmental biotechnology
- Other biology-based solutions to local or regional challenges
You have broad creative freedom in how you present your idea. You may speak to the camera, use illustrations or props, or include animations or sketches, provided that your video complies with the Rules & Guidelines.
We’re looking for solutions that are relevant, original, and grounded in biosolutions thinking.
Note: Submissions should present your own original idea. Videos that showcase or promote an existing company's product or service (e.g., a startup you are affiliated with) are not eligible
Two winners (one from the EU and one from outside the EU) will receive a fully funded trip (and accommodation) to Denmark to visit Campus Kalundborg.
During their 7-day stay, winners will enjoy a rich program of activities, including:
- Experience Scandinavia's largest biotech hotspot - home to world-leading pharmaceutical production, cutting-edge research, and the award-winning Kalundborg Symbiosis.
- Meet & Greet: Connect with MSc Biosolutions students and professors from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH).
- Lab Visits: Guided experiences in research labs related to biomanufacturing and biosolutions.
- Visibility: Be featured in MSc Biosolutions’ social media.
- Cultural & Nature Experiences: Take part in leisure activities like nature walks or local cultural tours.
Get inspired by last year’s participants!
In 2025, BIOSOL welcomed video submissions from students across 17 countries: Brazil, China, Ecuador, Greece, India, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United States, and Uruguay. Their ideas showed how biosolutions can address challenges in communities around the world. Meet the BIOSOL2025 winners and finalists below.
| Participants from the European Union (EU) and associated countries | University | |
| 🥇1st place | Elsa Cadenas | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain) |
| 🥈2nd place | Dareen Atieh | Yildiz Technical University (Turkey) |
| 🥉3rd place | Markos Mathioudakis | Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) |
| Participants from outside the EU | University | |
| 🥇1st place | Sarah Lind |
Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| 🥈2nd place | Barbara Miller |
ORT University (Uruguay) |
| 🥉3rd place | Shradha Anand Mulimani |
R.V. College of Engineering (India) |
Create a 60–120 second video in English presenting your biosolution. Be creative; professional video equipment or production experience is not required.
A few essentials to keep in mind:
Length: 60–120 seconds (shorter/longer videos accepted but scored lower)
Format & size: .mp4 (H.264), under 400 MB
On camera: You must visibly appear and speak for at least 10 seconds
Orientation: Landscape preferred; portrait accepted but scored lower
Please read the Rules & Guidelines before creating your video for the complete video specifications, eligibility requirements, and submission conditions.
Ready to share your idea? Follow these simple steps:
- Read the Rules & Guidelines
- Create your video (review key video requirements in the PDF)”
- Fill out the Submission form
- Prepare your documents
- Proof of eligibility: documentation confirming current bachelor’s enrolment or completion of a bachelor’s degree on or after 30 September 2025
- Completed submission form
- Send your submission
- Upload your video to a free file-sharing platform (WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.)
- Make sure the link is publicly accessible (no login required)
- Name your file: Institution_LastName_FirstName
- Email the completed submission form, proof of eligibility, and shareable video link to biosol2026@ku.dk
Submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Relevance to biosolutions: Does the idea address a real challenge using a biosolutions approach?
- Creativity and originality: Is the solution original, innovative, or inspiring?
- Video and editing quality: Is the video clear, engaging, and easy to follow? Professional equipment is not required.
The judging panel will include MSc Biosolutions students and professors from the University of Copenhagen, among others.
Contact
If you have any questions about the challenge, feel free to reach out. We are happy to help!
Email us at: biosol2026@ku.dk
Organization:
Giuliano Marcelo Dragone
Associate Professor
Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen
Scientific committee:
Giuliano Marcelo Dragone
Associate Professor
Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen
Deyang Xu
Associate Professor
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Serafim Bakalis
Professor
Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen
Stay updated and get inspired
Follow Biosolutions (University of Copenhagen) on LinkedIn for updates and highlights