Teams that participated in the university accelerator Snjallræði this autumn presented the outcomes of their work at a harvest festival held on Thursday, December 11, at Nauthóll. All of the ideas aim to improve society, the environment, and the economy, and participants included both researchers and students from the University of Iceland.

The master of ceremonies at the event was Svava Björk Ólafsdóttir, Innovation Project Manager at the University of Akureyri, and the opening address was delivered by Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir, Mayor of Reykjavík. In her speech, Heiða Björg emphasized the importance of developing projects that create social value. She cited examples of projects developed within Snjallræði that later became part of the city’s infrastructure.

Oddur Sturluson, Project Manager of Snjallræði, introduced the program to guests, after which the teams delivered their final presentations. A panel discussion followed with Þórey Vilhjálmsdóttir, CEO of the University of Iceland Science Park; Þorsteinn Kári Jónsson, Head of Sustainability at JBT Marel; and Einar Mäntylä, Innovation Advisor at Orkidea.

At the end of the event, Ásgeir Jónsson, a lecturer at the School of Business and Economics at Reykjavík University and one of Snjallræði’s coaches, presented awards to the teams. In addition to Ásgeir, Svava Björk and Oddur coached participants in Snjallræði this year.

Positive impact on society, the environment, and the economy

Nine teams participated in the accelerator and spent the past four months passionately developing and shaping project ideas intended to have a positive impact on society, the environment and the economy.

“We are proud to support impactful, creativity-driven projects that are still at the idea stage. Collaboration among participants and guidance from more experienced entrepreneurs create a vibrant platform for early-stage innovation projects, and the diversity of the projects demonstrates how powerful social innovation can be,” says Oddur Sturluson, Project Manager of Snjallræði.

Teams participating in Snjallræði this year:

Charbo focuses on transforming organic waste into safe, nutrient-rich fertilizer to improve Icelandic soil, stimulate plant growth, and reduce the need for imported fertilizers.
Team members: Sigrún Emelía Karlsdóttir and Liam O'Malley.

CO₂ Conversion is a project centered on the intelligent design and discovery of materials to capture CO₂ and convert it into environmentally friendly fuel under ambient conditions using electrocatalysis.
Team members: Younes Abghoui, Mohammad Awais, and Mohammadreza Khaniha.

E-lísa present a new approach to geothermal energy that increases power output, reduces risk, and extends the lifespan of boreholes by enhancing permeability and maximizing energy production safely and cost-effectively in both conventional and superheated geothermal systems.
Project lead: Guðjón Helgi Eggertsson.

GeoMerge are designing innovative solutions for geothermal reservoir management and technologies to improve performance and sustainability in geothermal fields.
Team members: Agata Rostran Largaespada and Ximena Guardia Muguruza.

Gleipnir Lífsmiðja is a biotechnology company that harnesses the genetic potential of yeast and synthetic biology to create groundbreaking solutions in pharmaceutical development.
Team members: Guðjón Ólafsson and Henný Adolfsdóttir.

Tón-tyngi aim to design a framework for a digital vocal library containing lyrics, sheet music, audio files, and educational materials, accessible to a broad user base including professionals, parents, and teachers.
Team members: Helga Rut Guðmundsdóttir, Aleksandra Kozimala, Adam J. Switala, and Natalia Duarte Jeremías.

Immigrant Inclusion is led by Magnea Marinósdóttir, this project focuses on the inclusion of people of foreign origin, with an emphasis on civic and democratic participation.

Lengi býr að fyrstu gerð will improve the design of school meal menus featuring nutritious, from-scratch cooking intended to introduce children to diverse ingredients and reduce food waste.
Team members: Kristín Petrína Pétursdóttir and Fanný Kristín H. Maríudóttir.

Vera is a project focused on solutions that bridge gaps in services and communication, strengthen the position of individuals in vulnerable situations, and make the healthcare and welfare system more efficient and humane.
Team members: Sigríður Kristín Hrafnkelsdóttir, Hildur Harðardóttir, and Birna Björnsdóttir.

A successful autumn marked by strong inter-university collaboration

Snjallræði is Iceland’s first joint university accelerator and is a collaborative project between the University of Akureyri, the University of Iceland, and Reykjavík University. It began in early September with a workshop at Gróska – the innovation hub, followed by a second workshop in Húsavík in late September, held alongside the Húsavík Design Assembly. The third workshop took place at Reykjavík University in mid-October, and the fourth and final workshop was held in late November at Gróska.

The goal of Snjallræði is to train teams in startup design so they can advance their ideas to the next stage of development. The core of the accelerator consists of workshops on innovation and design thinking, held in collaboration with MITdesignX.