Collaboration at the School of Business, Innovation and Sustainability

Research projects (FIH) that have received VFT funding

Democratisation of Prostheses (2024)

There are an estimated 60 million amputees in the world today, and it is estimated that there are many unreported cases. In developing countries, there is a shortage of cheap and simple prostheses, which leads to poorer quality of life and low self-esteem for the amputee. The major challenge in the prosthesis is the socket as it is individual as every amputation is unique and the amputee therefore has a unique length of stump. As a result, the price of the socket is high, which means that people in economically vulnerable situations do not have access to prostheses.

This project could be the basis for the development of a simpler system that could enable a new type of fitting and manufacturing process for prostheses. This project should be particularly suitable for implementation in developing countries.

By: Martin Bergman, Lina Lundgren, Fawzi Halila, Joakim Wahlberg

Head protection for figure skaters (2024)

A concept has been developed for a new type of head protection using a patented material not previously used in the area. There is access to the material and expertise in the field via partners who own the patent.

The material on which the project is based is protected (not by the project members) and has been proven to fulfil the criteria for shock absorption for helmets. The application referred to here has not been previously tested.

By: Martin Bergman, Lina Lundgren, Bengt-Göran Rosen, Henrik Sköldengren

Dispersal model for wildlife inventory (2023)

There is a great need for methods to inventory ungulates. Red deer Cervus elaphus is one species where the need is particularly great. One problem with surveying red deer is that they are largely nocturnal and therefore difficult to observe. Methods and tools that work in the dark are therefore needed. In Skåne, light amplifiers have been used for surveying red deer since the 1990s, but thermal imaging cameras with great potential for wildlife surveys are now also available on the market. It is therefore of great interest to investigate and compare thermal imaging cameras and light amplifiers in practical game surveys.

The aim is to be able to give hunters, landowners and authorities recommendations for the use of light amplifiers and thermal imaging cameras in surveys of red deer and other ungulates.

By: Anders Jarnemo

Contextual validation of muscle fatigue monitoring tools (2023)

By using the Inno X sensor, customers will be able to provide their users with insights on how their products can help optimise and make training more effective. With objective and real-time data, users can make better decisions and avoid overuse injuries. Inno X opens up a new level of precision and customisation in the world of training.

The tool, called Inno X, is a unique readiness sensor that measures the actual status of the muscle (readiness) in real time. Intended for use before and/or after training/competition, Inno X provides the user with objective data to monitor muscle fatigue and make informed decisions on training periodisation. By adapting training to the readiness of the muscle, the user can optimise their performance and avoid injuries caused by overload.

By: Lina Lundgren

CatFish (2022)

CatFish streamlines and improves water quality monitoring by automating the collection of data. Furthermore, surface and underwater drones are used to continuously take water samples, providing a more complete and accurate picture of water quality. CatFish also has multiple measurement points, such as pH, turbidity, temperature and phosphorus, and is capable of collecting water samples from different depths, around the clock. This enables rapid response to pollution and supports better environmental decisions.

By: Joakim Tell, Alireza Esmaeilzadeh

Student projects (FIH) that have received VFT funding

FlexiCare (2024)

The project is a result of a graduation project in the Innovation Engineering programme at Halmstad University. The project members have developed a portable breathing unit that solves today's problems regarding the laborious transfer of ventilator patients, as well as the manual handling of the bag valve mask. The portable breathing unit reduces the workload, saves resources in terms of staff & time-consuming transfers, reduces mistakes caused by the human factor which in turn increases patient safety.

By: Ellinor Nilsson, Sofie Krüger

GTechnologies (2024)

The project focuses on preventing acute low blood glucose levels in children with type 1 diabetes. By effectively and automatically raising blood glucose levels to stable levels before they become critically low, it improves the safety and quality of life of those affected. The condition of acutely low blood glucose levels is called hypoglycaemia and is life-threatening if not treated immediately and correctly. Children with type 1 diabetes are particularly vulnerable to hypoglycaemia as their brains are not yet fully developed. The project focuses on a medtech innovation that combines software and hardware to effectively prevent the condition from occurring.

By: Kalle Folkesson Ullenby, Matilda Ahlgren

Robot Platform – M.O.S.S (2024)

The project aims to solve the current insufficient sampling frequency in wetland research by providing stakeholders with opportunities for data collection and monitoring the health of wetlands. This is achieved through an autonomous robotic platform equipped with desired sensors that can easily navigate the varied terrain found in wetlands by combining different propulsion methods.

By: Hannes Gyllhamn, Amanda Voss Åkerström

Ostomy Connect (2023)

A stoma is the consequence of the removal or disuse of one or more organs of the digestive system, often due to cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. Surgery involves removing all or part of the organ and creating a stoma, which is a surgically created opening in the abdominal wall where the intestine is attached. The procedure results in the patient receiving an ostomy bag that is applied around the bowel opening. Emptying takes place without voluntary control, making it difficult for ostomy patients to recognise when the pouch is full and needs emptying, especially at night. The Ostomy Connect product is an innovative and universal solution that wakes the user up at night with an alarming sound signal, thus improving the quality of life of people with an ostomy through safer sleep.

By: Sara Pettersson, Noa Koch

Sumday (2023)

Sumday will offer a web platform that enables people to systematically discover, develop and commercialise the field of work they are passionate about. Sumday offers a user journey in four steps:
1. discovering the passion
2. learning and networking
3. professional exposure through short-term projects
4. mediation for full-time employment

By: Ahsan Ahmed, Alex Balzer, M. Alexander Weixler

RePlastIt (2023)

The vision is to implement additive manufacturing in a global recycling initiative to accommodate more advanced products from recycled materials without adding raw materials. RePlastIt works with the waste-to-product process, targeting developing countries where recycling is lacking and where function is the main focus over aesthetics. To promote recycling and reuse, the RePlastIt project will be able to extract filaments from polymers for 3D printing, or 3D printing directly from granules/shreds.

By: Patricia Freigard

GipsOK (2023)

GipsOK offers a patentable lifting tool designed to make the handling of building materials easier. The lifting tool is designed to enable the delivery of pallets of building materials through windows on construction sites - so that the material used by builders is positioned more closely to where it will be used. This minimises the risk of injury to both materials and people, while being a more time-efficient way of moving materials.

By: Constantin Catalin Ciorascu, Håkan Bergsten

BeeFarm (2022)

BeeFarm is a project that aims to create a sustainability service for sustainability-driven companies that can create better conditions for beekeepers, farmers and society by increasing pollination in agriculture. The idea is to help companies broaden and communicate their sustainability work by implementing concrete pollination improvement projects in collaboration with beekeepers and farmers. Beekeepers will be given access to hives that will be placed in farmers' oilseed rape fields to improve pollination and thereby the oilseed rape harvest. The effects of the projects will be measured and summarised so that the companies can use it in their sustainability report and sustainability communication.

By: Andreas Åkesson, Ludwig Karlsson

MonthlyWear (2022)

Everyone should be able to live a free and active life. However, this can be a challenge during menstruation. MonthlyCup and its founder Lisa Perby wanted to – and have – met this challenge by developing a range of products, most notably the menstrual cup, made of high-quality silicone material approved for medical purposes. The design and materials of the menstrual cup enable an active lifestyle even during menstruation.

By: Lisa Perby

TechnillionJobs (2021)

Technillion is a solution that aims to match graduate engineers in Iraq with businesses' demand for certain skill sets, both on a local and global level. The solution is designed through a service consisting of web forms and an app. Technillion could offer job-seeking engineers greater and broader opportunities for a global career - and companies a global recruitment base of skills.

By: Ziad Amer Al-Taie

Evaporative treatment of industrial process water (2021)

Many industrial operations generate process water that is difficult to treat, requiring costly transport to disposal facilities. In many cases, this process water consists of more than 90-95% water, which means that companies pay large amounts to transport and burn mostly water. Helios Innovations has now succeeded in modifying a technology to purify industrial process water to try to reduce this problem. With this technology, industries could reduce the volume of process water sent for destruction by over 90% by removing the water.

By: Jonatan Persson

Blood Simpling (2021)

Blood Simpling is an innovation that makes taking blood samples easier for both the patient and healthcare professionals. A blood test often requires multiple attempts, which leads to discomfort for the patient and wasted time for the professionals. Blood Simpling has further identified a number of key factors that are crucial for successful sampling. Based on these key factors, a device has been designed that helps to optimise a number of specific conditions that are favourable for successful blood sampling.

By: Lisa Eliasson, Frida Svensson

Ambulance Safety MADDE (2020)

Kristian Persson and Max Renberg have developed a new and more functional safety belt for paramedics. The three-point belt currently in use restricts the mobility of paramedics, which in turn risks preventing them from performing their work effectively. Often, paramedics solve this problem by using the seat belt incorrectly or not at all, which poses major safety risks. Kristian Persson's and Max Renberg's seat belts, on the other hand, allow for better mobility and thus offer the possibility to perform the paramedic's tasks more efficiently and safely.

By: Kristian Persson, Max Renberg

D4ACTIVE (2019)

D4Active provides a complete system and package solution for diabetes care consisting of only three necessary parts; a central communication unit in the form of an interactive application, a separable insulin pump and a sensor that can measure current insulin levels. The project has been developed to reduce the number of devices for diabetics to carry, increasing mobility and the possibility of a more active everyday life. The system is expected to strengthen diabetes care and promote health and active lifestyle for diabetics.

By: Sofia Possfelt, Alfred Bertilsson, Anna Fransson

VELOX (2019)

The project aims to develop a new product, based on research, with the intention of better controlling children's health and ill health during growth. Ten years of mapped research on the topic of childhood obesity have been studied by Gerd Almquist-Tangen, in order to build a problem formulation: how can childhood obesity be more easily identified during the growth phase of children at risk of becoming ill? The project goal is to develop a health innovation that warns of childhood obesity and the risks that can arise during the growth phase, as a preventive measure.

By: Johanna Jonsson, Johanna Yunusova

Biochar Cook Stove (2017)

Lukong Pius Nyuykonge has developed a stove that provides energy and hot food while producing biochar, which can be used to fertilise soil and purify water. The pyrolysis process allows many different materials to be used as fuel. This means that the stove can be fuelled by agricultural residues, all kinds of wood and bark, and much more. The stove also has the advantage of being healthier in that it does not produce as much smoke and particulate emissions as many other cooking methods used in developing countries.

By: Lukong Pius Nyuykonge