ArcelorMittal France has announced the winners of its inaugural Innovators Award, the Prix des Innovateurs; at an award ceremony in Paris on 20 July 2016, six winners were named, for their work in two emerging sectors: big data and energy storage.
Each of the winning projects is set to make an impact in the months and years to come, from providing more accurate forecasts for wind power, to harnessing unused heat sources to cut energy consumption.
In launching the Prix des Innovateurs, ArcelorMittal is seeking to promote a climate of innovation in France by supporting new projects in industry and services, as well as rewarding those who are developing solutions that may have a genuine impact on society.
In total, 103 candidates including students, researchers and young entrepreneurs, entered the awards, putting forward 53 projects. The 12 best teams were then invited to present their ideas to a jury, resulting in six winners: three in each category.
Several selection criteria were used to choose the most promising and innovative projects: the inventiveness of the project, the maturity of analysis, feasibility, the potential for further development and the quality of presentation.
Prize money of €50,000 goes to the winner of each category and the projects will benefit from the support of ArcelorMittal experts.
Big data
In the big data category, the top prize was awarded to wind power forecasting project meteo*swift. The company aims to forecast wind power generation by combining meteorology and artificial intelligence, to provide more accurate data about a wind farm’s expected output.
The second prize in the big data category went to MyTraffic, which aspires to become the tool of reference for identifying commercial property sites through the geo-targeting of catchment areas and auditing of business locations in real time.
Property search website Home in Love took the third prize; Home in Love is a matching site that facilitates property searches through an innovative algorithm, placing the user at the centre of the search to assist in the quest for the perfect home.
Energy storage
Ecostock took the first prize in the energy storage category, for its innovation in reducing energy consumption. The project offers industry a solution that can capture heat losses and cut energy consumption by up to 40%. The system works like a rechargeable battery for heat and can harness unused heat sources above 150°C.
In second place, Airthium offers a compressed air storage system that stores energy in batteries without using any chemical agents. Taking third place in the energy storage category, Stolect offers large capacity electricity storage technology that is particularly suitable for the mass storage of renewable energy.
