UHI innovator in Thurso secures prize at Scottish university entrepreneurs awards
A Caithness entrepreneur has been named as one of two University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) innovators to win three major prizes at the 2025 Converge Awards.
In a ceremony at the Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh earlier this month, Dr Szabolcs Pap, research fellow at UHI Environmental Research Institute in Thurso, won the IBioIC Award, securing a £20,000 cash prize for UHI alongside tailored support, including membership and mentoring from IBioIC.
IBioIC is a networking and support organisation that connects industry, academia and government to bring biotechnology processes and products to the global market.
His project CassioPeia, is a low-cost, chemical-free filtration system to recover valuable phosphorus from wastewater.
Using a carbon-based ‘sponge’, the technology prevents nutrient pollution while recycling phosphorus back into agriculture, supporting the UK’s Net Zero and zero-waste ambitions.
Speaking after his win, Dr Pap said: "We are absolutely delighted that our ground-breaking project CassioPeia has won the prestigious IBioIC Special Prize at Converge!
“This will provide a huge boost for our future plans to spin-out a business to turn waste into a valuable product and drive innovation in excess phosphorus removal from water.”
The other award winner, Christopher Kaan Caudwell – a computer science student at UHI Perth – won both the KickStart Challenge (£10,000 cash) and the Data Lab Early-Stage Award (£5,000 cash) for his project, Gestura.
Gestura is an AI-powered app that translates sign language into speech, and speech back into sign language, in real time.
Designed for everyday use in hospitals, banks and public transport, the app aims to break down communication barriers for millions of people worldwide.
Vicki Nairn, UHI Principal and Vice-Chancellor, said: “We are immensely proud of both Szabolcs and Christopher.
“Their achievements at Converge highlight the innovation, creativity and ambition of our student and research community at UHI.
“These are projects with the potential to deliver real social, environmental and economic impact, not just in Scotland but globally.”
Event hosts Converge are Scotland’s leading entrepreneurial development programme for staff, students and recent graduates of Scottish universities and research institutes.
Adam Kosterka, Executive Director of Converge, said: “At Converge, we believe Scotland’s universities are home to the next generation of world-changing innovations.
“This year’s winners exemplify exactly what’s possible when brilliant academic minds are equipped with the business expertise and networks to transform their ideas into commercially successful, impactful companies.”