Sustainable Chemistry Innovators Honoured at electronica 2026
ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2026: TSR Innovations wins EUR 15,000 main prize for mechanochemical recycling process for rare-earth magnets
Munich, 12 November 2026
TSR Innovations from Germany has won the EUR 15,000 main prize in the ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2026 for a cost efficient mechanochemical recycling process for rare-earth magnets. The International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3) presented the award to TSR Innovations following the final pitches at the booth of its partner organisation, the Global Electronics Association, during electronica 2026.
The 2026 finalists have shown how Sustainable Chemistry can help create a more sustainable and resilient electronics industry. We warmly congratulate all the finalists and winners and thank our international jury for its expertise and dedication. We are particularly grateful to the Global Electronics Association for its partnership and for hosting the final pitches and award ceremony at its booth during electronica 2026, said Dr Alexis Bazzanella, Director of the ISC3 Innovation Hub.
TSR Innovations develops a cost-efficient and more sustainable so-called long-loop recycling process for rare-earth magnets recovered from electric vehicle motors and production waste. By further processing the recovered materials for use in new magnet production, TSR Innovations’ technology supports the circular use of resources essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines, and electronic devices while contributing to a more resilient European supply chain. First and foremost, I would like to thank ISC3 for its outstanding support. Receiving this award is a great honour, and it will help us accelerate important activities and reach key milestones. Being part of the ISC3 finalist cohort and support programme provided us with excellent mentoring and valuable pitch preparation. Participating in electronica was another major success for us. We established contacts with several industrial companies and initiated discussions that could lead to future collaborations. Overall, being part of the ISC3 Innovation Challenge and its support programme has been an incredibly valuable opportunity for us. said Dr. Tomislav Stolar, the founder and CEO of TSR Innovations.
In addition to the main prize, two Special Impact Awards, each worth EUR 5,000, went to AppCyclers from Ghana for a safe and community-driven digital e-waste recycling system and women-led start-up Ecolyte from Azerbaijan for ionic liquid-based gel replacing flammable electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries. ReBond Technologies from Tanzania received the ISC3 Audience Award 2026 for a low-cost, bio-based reversible adhesive for electronic assembly and disassembly.
This year’s Innovation Challenge focused on Sustainable Chemistry and Electronics, highlighting technologies and business models that can help make electronic products and their value chains more sustainable. The eight finalists were selected from more than 50 applicants from over 25 countries. The international jury consisted of fifteen experts representing Sustainable Chemistry, Electronics, Business, Innovation and Academia.
Afya Ya Mnyama Digital has developed an eco-designed, modular smart ear tag sensor system that monitors the health of farm animals in real time while reducing environmental impact across the device lifecycle.
AppCyclers runs a safe and community-driven digital e-waste recycling system − from collection, safe recycling and training to trading quality recycled products.
B-CIRC Botswana Circular Energy Storage Platform (Botswana)
B-CIRC is building a four-device energy storage and solar-fuel platform that aims to source all active electrode and electrolyte materials from Botswana's waste streams or evaporite deposits.
Ecolyte is replacing flammable electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries with ionic liquid-based gel that have the potential to enhance battery efficiency, lifespan, and safety.
ON nano International (Germany) is offering the world`s first largest-area spin coater for glass-based circuit boards that enables highly uniform resist coating on ultra-thin material layers for next generation chip assembly while significantly reducing chemical and material consumption.
ReBond introduces a low-cost, bio-based reversible adhesive for electronic assembly and disassembly, improving material recovery and supporting circular electronics.
WeavInsight builds an AI-driven remote sensing and IoT platform that creates a “Chemical Digital Twin” for electronics, helping to detect and reduce material dissipation and toxic leakage.
