For the sixth consecutive year, the Göran Bredinger Scholarship is being awarded to a young social entrepreneur who is making an innovative contribution to solving a societal challenge. This year’s award ceremony will take place in conjunction with the Social Innovation Summit, and the scholarship will be awarded to Jonatan Persson of Helios Innovation.
This year, the Göran Bredinger Scholarship, worth 50,000 kronor, is being awarded to Jonatan Persson for his invention, Helios Innovation—a desalination technology that can purify seawater using waste heat from industrial facilities. By using waste heat as an energy source, seawater can be purified at a cost 30 times lower than that of tap water. The invention can help reduce water scarcity worldwide by disconnecting industries from our drinking water supply and making communities more self-sufficient.
“This scholarship opens up an incredible number of new opportunities in the business community of southern Sweden, and I’m convinced it will help me move forward with my project,” says winner Jonatan Persson.
The jury's rationale for this year's scholarship recipient
In October 2019, 18 researchers and experts stated that clean drinking water can no longer be taken for granted in Sweden. At the same time, industry is a major consumer of water.
The grant recipient is a dedicated and motivated social entrepreneur whose invention—a seawater desalination technology—has the potential to solve future water shortages. The pilot plant currently under construction will initially purify 40,000 liters of water daily. Jonatan Persson and Helios Innovation believe that their solution can purify water using waste heat from industry, with the goal of solving the world’s water shortage.
“Jonatan Persson is an incredibly ambitious and dedicated entrepreneur. It will be exciting to follow and support this innovation,” says Göran Bredinger.
The scholarship is awarded over a ten-year period
Previous recipients include Henning Gillberg from Repamera, Hanne Pålsson with the Vevios personal safety alarm,Joel Holmbergwith Resledaren, Kristoffer Persson with Studentvikarie, and Sara Magnusson with Experimentfabriken.
The scholarship was established in 2014 by Göran Bredinger and will be awarded over the next ten years (2014–2024).
The jury consists of:
Anders Norman, former CEO of Almi Skåne
Eva Engquist, Chair of Form/Design Center
Göran Bredinger, founder of the scholarship, CEO of Dieden Group AB
Hanna Sigsjö, Executive Director of Forum for Social Innovation Sweden
Mikaela Färnqvist, Outreach Manager at Minc
Yasemin Arhan Modéer, CEO of Altitude Meetings
Åsa Skogström Feldt, Leading the Inter Ikea Social Entrepreneurship Initiative