One of Norrbotten's most exciting companies

The year has started well for ZeoMem Sweden AB and the company has several exciting collaborations underway. Three companies are currently evaluating ZeoMem membranes on real biogas to ensure the membranes are working in their application.

ZeoMem is now building relations with major companies that may act as partners and investors to be able to build the first membrane production factory.

In May, Invest in Norrbotten arranges an investment event in Stockholm and ZeoMem Sweden AB is one of the selected companies that will be presented as one of Norrbotten's most exciting companies.

One of the world's top researchers - once again

Zeomem's Jonas Hedlund is once again ranked as one of the world's foremost researchers in Chemical Engineering. Close to 80,000 researchers within Chemical Engineering have been ranked globally and Jonas ends up within the top 1% of the researchers.

- Of course, I am very honoured. For almost 30 years, I have been researching zeolite membranes and catalysts, and I am so happy that I have now succeeded in commercializing the research," says Jonas.

It is Stanford University that has developed an index and ranked the researchers in each research area based on the number of published articles, the impact factor of the publications and the number of citations.

The data published the 16th of September is found here.
See: Table_1_Authors_career_2023_pubs_since_1788_wopp_extracted_202408

Lower cost and less power need

The use of zeolite membranes instead of polymer membranes for upgrading of biogas to biomethane can reduce the costs for electicity by 100 000 euro per year for a normal-sized plant in Europe. This was said by Liang Yu during his lecture at the EuroMembrane 2024 conference.

The use of two stage zeolite membrane process compared to the three stage polymeric membrane process, will lower the power need with 40 % according to Liang Yu.

About 100 people listened to Liangs presentation about the companys research in ultra-thin zeolite membranes, resulting in several visits to Zeomem's booth at the exhibition and requests for collaboration.

ZeoMem at EuroMembrane 2024

ZeoMem is attending the conference EuroMembrane 2024 in Prague to network, find new partners and present our new research in ultra-thin Zeolite membranes.

This year's conference is dedicated to exploring the critical themes of water, resources and energy - topics that are not only at the heart of the membrane field but are also essential to addressing the global challenges we face today.

900 participants are present from all over the world, among others Arailym Kamal from Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan and Haleh Nourizadeh Kazerouni from Universite Laval in Canada.

- It is very valuable to participate in the conference, since we learn about new research and also make new contacts from both academia and the industry, says Helena Godotter Karlberg, business developer at ZeoMem.

Finalist at Luleå Business Awards

ZeoMem Sweden is a finalist in the category “Innovation of the Year” at Luleå Business Awards.

Every year, Luleå Business Region, together with partners, celebrates and draws attention to the business community in Luleå by praising companies, organizations and businesses. LKAB represents the award for innovation and David Högnelid, Head of Strategy, Business Area Special Products at LKAB, is the chairman of the jury:

- Through the award, we want to draw attention to the driven people and innovative companies who see the opportunities before everyone else, those who take risks and pave the way. Those who create development and a better future through innovation.

All three finalists Remos Space Systems, RockSigma and ZeoMem Sweden are spin-off companies from Luleå University of Technology.

The world's best DDR-type zeolite membrane

Professor Jonas Hedlund and his research team have developed the world's best zeolite membranes of DDR type. These membranes can be used, among other things, for efficient purification of biogas.

In a scientific article published in December in the Journal of Membrane Science, Liang Yu, Iliana Kyriazidou, Ming Zhou and Jonas Hedlund present their latest study. The membranes display exceptionally high CO2/CH4 selectivity of up 1000 and, by far, world record CO2 permeance. Consequently, these membranes seems ideal for e.g. biogas upgrading.

Here is a link to the article Highly permeable DDR membranes - ScienceDirect

Plenary speaker in Nanjing, China

Jonas Hedlund, founder of ZeoMem Sweden, had the honor to be the first speaker at the 9th International Zeolite Membrane Meeting in Nanjing, China in October 2023. His plenary lecture was entitled Zeolite membranes-Insights and Opportunities, and about 400 researchers attended the week-long conference.

Jonas brought some of his research team who also had the opportunity to showcase their research. Among other things, Liang Yu gave an Invited lecture and Iliana Kyriazidou's poster was received the Excellent poster award.

- It am very proud of my team and it was a great pleasure for me to bring part of my research group to the conference and present the latest research from Sweden, says Jonas Hedlund.

Winner of the SKAPA award in Norrbotten

Professor Jonas Hedlund, founder of ZeoMem Sweden AB, is the winner of the SKAPA award in Norrbotten 2023. The award was given in solemn forms by the county governor Lotta Finstorp.

- Through many years of research and great dedication, the winner of Norrbotten's SKAPA prize has succeeded in developing a cutting-edge technology that is considered to have a major impact in industrial purification, where you need to filter various chemical compounds more efficiently and cheaply than before by letting them pass through a so-called: Zeolite membrane.

The SKAPA award is Sweden's largest innovation award, with the aim of providing support to inventors to develop their ideas. SKAPA is a foundation that was established in memory of Alfred Nobel in 1985 and awarded its first prize in 1986.

Matilda Öhman, Parking Time, won the SKAPA talent award for young innovators.

IVA's 100 List 2023

Jonas Hedlund and Liang Yu have been selected on IVA's 100 list in the deep tech category for their research of ultra-thin zeolite membranes.

IVA's 100 List 2023 highlights a variety of research projects from Swedish higher education institutions on the theme of Technology in the Service of Humanity in Climate Change, Energy Supply, Welfare Technology, Cyber Security and Crisis Preparedness. Through selection, the projects have been judged to have great potential to create value, through commercialization, business and method development or societal impact.

- There is incredibly good research in Sweden that has the potential to improve the world with the help of new technology. For this year's 100 List, IVA's selection committee has selected this year's most promising research projects that are judged to have great potential for business and societal benefit," says Marianne Dicander Alexandersson, IVA member and Chair of the Steering Committee.

Innovator of the year 2022

Jonas Hedlund, professor of chemical technology and founder of ZeoMem Sweden AB, has been awarded “Innovator of the year” at Luleå University of Technology - employee, for an innovation with the potential to become an important piece of the puzzle for the green transition.

Jonas has developed a scalable solution for the purification of gases through so-called zeolite membranes. The method lowers energy use and electricity consumption and reduces carbon dioxide emissions, in everything from small agricultural plants that produce biogas to large industries.

- With Innovator of the Year, we want to draw attention to creative, innovative and entrepreneurial people who have taken a concept further to application and commercialization. They may have developed a new service, product or process, or alternatively contributed to solving important societal challenges, says Anna Marklund, project manager at the Collaboration and Innovation Office at Luleå University of Technology.

Sofie Zätterqvist was awarded the “Student Innovator of the Year” for her concept for non-alcoholic beer with the aim of challenging, educating and engaging young people about gender and gender equality.

The prize is selected by a jury and awarded by Nordea's Norrlandsstiftelse.

One of the world's top researchers

Researchers at Stanford University has the top researchers in the world. Jonas Hedlund, professor of chemical technology, is one of them.

The ranking list is bibliometrically produced and is based on the number of published articles, the impact factor of the publications and the number of citations. Based on this, the Stanford researchers have developed an index and ranked the researchers in each research area.

Jonas Hedlund ends up within the top 1% of the researchers within Chemical Engineering.

- It is a fantastic feeling, and I am very honoured. For almost 30 years, I have focused my research to the area of zeolite membranes and catalyst, which has taken me to the top in this area. My main goal now is to commercialize the research although I continue some fundamental research work.

The results are classified into 22 scientific fields and 176 subfields in the report published in PLoS Biology in October 2020.

Community-building entrepreneurs of the year

Jonas Hedlund, founder of ZeoMem Sweden, and Christian Olsson, CEO of Sustainalube, have been awarded the “community-building entrepreneurs of the year” by the ÅForsk foundation and SISP, Swedish Incubators & Science Parks.

Through research at Luleå University of Technology, Zeomem has developed a process for the separation of gas mixtures in industry. Their unique and ultra-thin zeolite membrane makes the process cheaper and more energy efficient. Sustainalube has developed oil-free lubricants that are made from residual products from industry.

The ÅForsk Foundation was established in 1985. Its purpose is to work for research and development in: energy, environment, safety and sustainability, infrastructure, materials technology, processes and products from renewable raw materials.

The reward is 200 000 SEK and the prize ceremony took place in Norrköping on April 25, 2017.

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