UBQ Materials, an Israeli producer of bio-based materials from waste, has been selected as a finalist for the 24th annual SXSW Innovation Awards. The annual SXSW Innovation Awards recognise the most exciting tech developments in the connected world. Over 60 finalists in 13 different categories made the shortlist for this year ’s edition of the awards. The category winners and additional honours will be announced at the 24th annual SXSW Innovation Awards Ceremony on the evening of Monday, March 14 at the Austin Convention Center during the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals.
UBQ Materials is a finalist in the Speculative Design category, a category that honours the ‘best new work that uses design to re-think products, systems and worlds and address the challenges, opportunities and possibilities of the future'. The company has been recognised for the development of the first-ever waste-based 3D printing filament made with UBQ, the company’s proprietary waste-based thermoplastic.
UBQ is honoured to have made the shortlist, said Albert Douer, chairman and Co-CEO of UBQ Materials. “One of society’s greatest design flaws lies in the untapped value of the waste we create. By introducing waste back into the material supply chain, we empower brands and manufacturers to reach their net-zero goals and contribute to a more sustainable world.”
The filament produced by UBQ Materials was developed in partnership with R&D company Plastics App, specialised in tailor-made application-oriented innovation for polymers and plastics. The partners sought to launch a filament with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. Based on UBQ Materials thermoplastic material, made from unsorted municipal solid waste and fully recyclable, the new filament meets this requirement. It not only helps to reduce the amount of fuel-based plastics used in 3D printing, it also, as UBQ pointed out, specifically brings more sustainability to prototyping.
Over 60 digital projects will be available for SXSW attendees to interact with at the Innovation Awards Finalist Showcase on Saturday, March 12, at Griffin Hall in the JW Marriott Downtown Austin. Next to viewing the finalists’ submissions, SXSW registrants may also place their votes for the People’s Choice Award.