04-11-2025
After winning the Demo Day NOVA impACT! Challenges and the NOVA Startup Competition 2025, GeoCura, a team of Erasmus Mundus students from the Master’s in Advanced Materials and Innovative Recycling at NOVA FCT, achieved international recognition by winning the Tapojärvi Innovation Challenge.
This competition, held in Finland, offers European university students the opportunity to apply their skills to real industrial challenges, developing scalable and replicable solutions aimed at fostering a more sustainable industry.
The innovative project, developed by Huseyin Cetinkaya, Mavis Olorunyomi, Fabiola Dodaj, and Shah Saud, presents a groundbreaking solution that transforms mining waste into high-quality, self-healing concrete.
GeoCura’s geopolymer concrete uses copper mining waste and fly ash as raw materials. It also contains the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, which activates upon contact with moisture and repairs microcracks by forming calcium carbonate. This significantly extends the lifespan of concrete structures while reducing maintenance costs.
The product combines three features that no competitor has achieved to date: it is cement-free, has low pollutant emissions, and is self-healing. Its life-cycle emissions can be up to 80% lower than those of traditional concrete.
“We’ve been working on this project for about a year, and it’s great to promote this innovation specifically with Tapojärvi, as the company operates in both the mining industry and the circular economy. Europe needs mines, but they are often undervalued due to their environmental impact. By using mining waste in products like concrete, we are creating a better world and a more sustainable mining industry,” says Fabiola Dodaj.
With this achievement, NOVA FCT once again strengthens its role as a hub of entrepreneurial talent and solutions with real-world impact, contributing to the growth of the innovation ecosystem in Portugal and across Europe.
