ONiO Secures Major Eurostars Grant

ONiO, along with a group of innovators, has secured a sizable grant for its SELECT project (Sustainable Electronics for Energy Harvesting Applications). This project is directed towards developing a scalable platform for energy harvesting applications using sustainable electronic components. The total project cost is €3.1 million.

Onio’s team includes some of Europe’s brightest minds, all geared up to tackle the big sustainability challenges in the electronics industry with cutting-edge tech and green solutions. The partners include:
• ONiO AS (Norway): Leading with ultra-low power microcontrollers for energy harvesting.
• Epishine AB (Sweden): Organic photovoltaics optimized for indoor light.
• Ligna Energy AB (Sweden): Innovating eco-friendly supercapacitors from renewable materials.
• Jiva Materials Ltd (UK): Crafting fully recyclable and biodegradable PCB laminates.
• 4MOD Technology SAS (France): Developing next-gen remote controls.
• Pricer AB (Sweden): At the forefront of innovation with electronic shelf labels (ESL) that enable automated, real-time price updates, boosting efficiency and accuracy for retailers.

The SELECT project is all about creating a new, scalable platform for energy harvesting (EH) using sustainable electronic components, including:
• Utilizing the ONiO.zero microcontroller tailored for extreme low power and EH (ONiO).
• Modules for EH from radio frequency (ONiO) and photovoltaics (Epishine).
• A bio-based supercapacitor (Ligna Energy) for energy storage.
• A fully recyclable and biodegradable PCB laminate (Jiva Materials).

This platform is designed for IoT and small electronics applications, kicking off with electronic shelf labels (ESLs) and remote controls. The platform is tackling the industry’s reliance on polluting materials and greenhouse gas-heavy processes, offering a truly sustainable alternative for self-powered electronics.

Why This Matters

The electronics industry, especially the IoT and small electronics segment, is grappling with huge sustainability issues. Traditional solutions rely on disposable or rechargeable batteries that are pricey, high-maintenance, and bad for the environment. SELECT aims to ditch these for energy-harvesting tech that draws power from ambient sources like light and radio frequencies.

By eliminating batteries, SELECT plans to slash the environmental footprint of electronic devices, from production to disposal. It’s not just about high-tech; it’s about a greener, more sustainable future for electronics.

Customer Cases

The SELECT project is all set to show off its potential with two customer cases:
• Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL): Imagine walking into a store where all the price tags update automatically without requiring any manual user-input. Pricer AB is spearheading this initiative to develop state-of-the-art ESLs, that make it a breeze to change prices wirelessly.
• Remote Controls: Have you ever dreamt of a remote control that never needs battery replacements? 4MOD Technology SAS is making that a reality with their next-gen remotes powered entirely by ambient energy. Say goodbye to hunting for batteries and hello to a sustainable future.