Spark Award 2025: from pollutant to raw material

¡°We thought our invention was difficult to communicate, so we didn¡¯t expect to win at all,¡± says Alberto Garrido-Castro, who received the Spark Award together with Patrick T. Domke and Professor Bill Morandi, Deputy Head of the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry at ETH¡¯s Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences.  

For the expert jury, however, the decision was clear from an early stage: the electrochemical process, which can convert persistent organic pollutants (POPs) into safe and reusable substances such as common table salt, impressed in the criteria of originality, patent strength and market relevance. These persistent pollutants include DDT and lindane ¨C substances that were used as insecticides in quantities running to the millions of tonnes in the 20th century and that continue to pollute our ecosystems today. 

Selected from 107 inventions

Five technologies made it to the final round. The shortlist was drawn up by ETH transfer¡¯s technology and licensing managers from a total of 107 patent applications submitted by ETH researchers last year. The expert jury, comprising representatives from industry, then selected the winning project. 

The prize was presented by Vanessa Wood, ETH Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations, and Beat Weibel, Head of ETH transfer. The decisive factor for the jury was, above all, the market potential: ¡°The invention has the potential to fundamentally defuse a global environmental problem,¡± says Weibel. The team of researchers plans to license the technology to industrial partners in the future. ¡°We want our method to actually be used,¡± said Garrido-Castro. 

Conferral at Open-i

The award was presented at NZZ Connect¡¯s Open-i innovation event at the Zurich Convention Center. Open-i brings together participants from industry and academia ¨C with a focus on how research results can be translated into concrete applications. The programme also includes an exhibition, where ETH researchers and spin-offs have the opportunity to present their developments and engage in networking.

The winning technology

Upcycling of hazardous substances: In the 20th century, organic pollutants such as DDT and lindane were produced on a megaton scale. When these toxic substances enter the environment, they break down slowly and accumulate in the food chain. Researchers from Bill Morandi¡¯s lab have now developed an upcycling method in which an electrochemical reaction converts the pollutants into valuable raw materials for the chemical industry. 

Researchers: Patrick Domke, Alberto Garrido-Castro, Bill Morandi

The finalists

Multi-metal printing: Aerospace components such as rocket nozzles require complex metal alloys in order to withstand the enormous external influences they are exposed to. These multi-metal components can be produced by 3D printing ¨C but this is a relatively expensive process. Researchers from Markus Bambach¡¯s lab have developed an innovative single-stage 3D-printing process for multi-metals that is significantly cheaper and also reduces waste. 

Researchers: Markus Bambach, Dion Pirchl, Raphael Steffen, Michael Tucker

Microdroplets: To this day, pharmaceutical research is reliant on large pipetting robots and millions of plastic plates. Researchers from Petra Dittrich¡¯s lab have developed a device that allows high sample throughput by placing thousands of microdroplets ¨C one sample each ¨C on a glass plate the size of a credit card. A single drop fills the entire plate. The system works faster than conventional pipetting robots, is significantly cheaper and reduces waste thanks to miniaturisation. 

Researchers: Maximilian Breitfeld, Claudius Dietsche, Petra Dittrich 

Oxygen sensor: Accurate measurements of oxygen content are crucial for many industrial and medical applications. These measurements are used to analyse exhaust gases, enable the oxygen-free processing of food and medicines, and monitor the oxygen content in blood or the air we breathe. M¨¢t¨¦ Bezdek¡¯s laboratory has now developed a light-activated sensor that detects oxygen precisely, even in complex gas mixtures. 

Researchers: M¨¢t¨¦ Bezdek, Lionel Wettstein 

Hand exoskeleton: After a stroke, many people face limitations in hand function, which impacts their independence. Researchers from the laboratories of Roger Gassert and Olivier Lambercy have developed an innovative hand exoskeleton that helps users relearn everyday movements such as gripping. The accordion-like structure makes it light, robust and easy to integrate into everyday life. Thanks to 3D printing, the device can easily be adapted and produced in large quantities. 

Researchers: Rafael B?nziger, Jan Dittli, Roger Gassert, Olivier Lambercy, Raffaele Ranzani, Jaeyong Song, Natalie Tanczak