The winning project, "From Sawmill Residues and Marine Sediments to Sustainable Construction (SediMateria)," was developed under the mentorship of Dr. Andreja Kutnar, Head of the UP IAM InnoRenew CoE department, together with a team of ambitious students. The team consists of Katarina Legat and Zoja Mohorčič, students in the Master's programme in Sustainable Built Environment, and Špela Vrtovec, Una Vuletić, Erfan Asgari, and Olga Srejić, doctoral students in the Renewable Materials for Healthy Built Environments programme, who are also involved in research activities at the UP IAM InnoRenew CoE department.

The project focuses on the development of a sustainable construction product using marine sediments from the Port of Koper and wood residues from the sawmill industry. Specifically, it explores the creation of a bio-clay panel, a non-load-bearing building component made from biological and geological resources, intended for insulation and interior finishing applications. By combining waste and residual material streams, the project proposes an innovative solution that reduces resource consumption, minimizes environmental impact, and supports the transition toward a bio-based and circular construction sector.

BISC-E (Bio-based Innovation Student Challenge Europe) is a European student competition that encourages entrepreneurship and supports students in developing innovative bio-based products and processes to address technological, environmental, and societal challenges. The European final brings together the winning teams from national competitions across participating European countries. In Slovenia, the competition is coordinated by SRIP – Circular Economy in cooperation with the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana.