“I found the team and the skills I was missing”

Passanun knew the science behind her idea. Through Deep Green Innovators, she learned to see it through the eyes of the market — and found a team with the skills to move it beyond the lab.

Imagine bacteria that can feed on plastic waste and turn it into a new, biodegradable material.

A kind of living recycling plant.

That was the research-based idea Passanun Lomwongsopon brought with her when she joined Deep Green Innovators.

There was just one challenge.

As a postdoctoral researcher in industrial biotechnology, she knew the science. But she did not yet have the team or commercial experience needed to turn the idea into something that could work outside the laboratory.

“I came from a very technical background, and I wanted to understand how you turn research into a product or service that someone is willing to buy,” Passanun explains.

For Passanun, the programme was about learning how green research can reach the market — and meeting people who could bring the skills she lacked.

Looking beyond the technology

As a researcher, Passanun was used to focusing on the research itself: the solution, the process and how it could be improved.

But in a commercialisation process, a strong solution is not enough if you lose sight of the customer.

“For the first time, I began looking at the idea from the customer’s and the market’s point of view. Is this something they would actually use, and what would it take for them to do so?”

She also met participants with experience in sales, business development and sustainability — people with profiles very different from her own.

“They need to be interested in the idea, of course. But they also need to bring skills that you do not have yourself. That was one of the strengths of Deep Green Innovators: there were so many different profiles.”

The programme also encouraged her to look inwards. Through exercises on personality, goals and team dynamics, she became more aware of her strengths — and what she needed from potential co-founders.

“To find the right people for your team, you first need to understand yourself,” she says.

Facts about Deep Green Innovators

• What: 6-workshop innovation program - open for both students, professionals, researchers and current/former entrepreneurs

• Focus: Sustainability, idea development and interdisciplinary teamwork

• Includes: Workshops, access to research, team matchmaking, expert sparring

• Who can apply: Anyone curious about climate solutions – no idea needed

• Organized by: Aalborg University, Aarhus University and CBS

• Cost: Free

The idea has evolved

Because Passanun and her teammates bring different skills to the table, they have been able to challenge and develop the original idea based on what they learned from the market.

Passanun initially wanted to use bacteria to turn otherwise unrecyclable plastic into a biodegradable material. Today, the team is developing a broader concept aimed at helping companies move towards more circular plastic use.

According to Passanun, new teammates and outside perspectives can sharpen an idea and help shape it into something more relevant to the people who might use it.

“When you talk to other people, you have to find a balance and shape the idea in a way that everyone in the team is interested in working on.”

What happens next?

Since moving into the incubation phase, the project has not stood still.

Passanun and her team have been given an office at Kitchen, Aarhus University’s innovation hub, with access to facilities, networks and business developers.

The team is now developing its business model and interviewing companies and organisations connected to plastic packaging, recycling and regulation. Their aim is to identify recurring challenges and find the right starting point for their first customer.

“We have an idea of the business we want to create, but we still need to find out whether it is real.”

She has been surprised by how much support is available.

“You have access to business developers, team consultants and all the facilities at Kitchen. The important thing is deciding how to use them.”

She does not hesitate when asked whether she would recommend the programme to other students and researchers.

“If you have an idea but no idea how to make it happen, this is a very good programme to join. And even if you do not end up with a business, you still leave with knowledge and a mindset that you can use in the future."