To uncover the top innovations for 2022, we’ve dipped into our matchmaking platform, Connect, to find the innovations in development at universities around the world that the R&D community are most interested in. Here we showcase the twenty-two most viewed research innovations, which (based on industry opinion) are poised to have the biggest impact across science, technology, and healthcare in 2022.

While the Covid-19 pandemic continued to impact the research ecosystem through 2021, innovations in sustainability were high on the priority list for industry. The categories for our top innovations for 2022 were chosen to reflect the research themes of the most-viewed technologies on our platform.

Each of the top innovations for 2022 featured has been published on IN-PART’s online matchmaking platform for university-industry collaboration, Connect, by a university with the aim of finding industry teams to collaborate with on further development, commercialisation and deployment.

A full non-confidential summary of each project can be viewed on Connect through the links below each summary. Access to the platform is free for companies through a quick and easy registration and there are no downstream fees associated with using it to connect with any of the 7,000 innovations showcased by 250+ subscribed institutes.

IN-PART’s industry community consists of R&D and external innovation leads in over 6,000 companies, including 42/50 of the top R&D spending firms globally, who are using our matchmaking platforms to identify opportunities from academia for commercialisation and development.

Sustainability innovations

Biodegradable packaging from food waste

Inventors represented by North by Northwest Partners (a consortium of eight universities in the Northern United Kingdom) have found an alternative to petroleum-derived plastics by using agri-food waste. Their biodegradable packaging material is PLA-free and is compatible with existing production and composting facilities.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Simple and effective carbon capture with silicon-based sorbents

Carbon capture and utilisation is integral in the fight to offset carbon emissions and lessen the environmental impact of industrial processes. Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have designed a simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly method for CO2 capture using a silicon-based solid sorbent, avoiding the challenges associated with other more complicated methods of carbon capture.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

A faster and more simple approach to monitoring microplastic pollution 

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have developed a new fluorescent staining method to identify and monitor tiny plastic fragments in the marine environment. This new development allows scientists to selectively dye microplastics that are often deposited on beaches, riverbeds, and oceans, which subsequently build up in marine organisms, potentially causing adverse health effects across the ecosystem. 

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

A solution to the hydrogen storage and transportation problem

The use of ammonia (NH3) as a hydrogen carrier provides a promising solution to the current storage and transportation challenges of hydrogen as a viable clean energy source.

This new technology developed by researchers at the UK’s Science & Technology Facilities Council is an instrument design using a known method for producing hydrogen from ammonia (ammonia cracking) in combination with a novel lithium imide catalyst technology, which promises to enable a decentralised energy model where hydrogen can be produced at the point of use. 

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Biopharma & life sciences innovations

Preventing chronic wound infections 

Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern molecules (PAMPs) increase the inflammatory response of the immune system and impair wound healing. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have found a novel agent that neutralizes PAMPs, simultaneously providing anti-inflammation and infection prevention. 

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

A new biodegradable antimicrobial coating inspired by natural products

Antimicrobial coatings on surfaces continue to be a key measure to protecting public health in 2022, and these biodegradable, eco-friendly coatings developed by researchers at Durham University will help to reduce disease transmission without harming the environment.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Personalized drug design with microbiome-leveraging AI 

The use of AI in healthcare continues to take over the sector as it can interpret vast amounts of personal healthcare data, allowing industry to design bespoke treatments for patients. Researchers at the Science & Technology Facilities Council have developed a new AI platform that can link the human microbiome to specific conditions, offering new insights for personalised drug design and development.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

A first-in-class treatment to inhibit tumour growth 

A team of researchers at the University of Strathclyde are working on a first-in-class compound targeting one much-researched pathway in cancer – the NF-κβ pathway – which shows indications of inhibiting tumour growth in prostate and pancreatic cancers. 

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Materials innovations

A new antimicrobial and antibiofilm treatment inspired by Komodo Dragons

Scientists at George Mason University have developed a novel synthetic peptide, inspired by molecules discovered in Komodo dragons. The antimicrobial and anti-biofilm treatment based around this peptide encourages rapid healing of wounds and presents an alternative treatment for infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Active and intelligent packaging

Scientists at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice have developed a bio-based packaging material with irreversibly attached additives to extend the shelf life of food, absorb smells, and release antimicrobial substances. 

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

New methods to manufacture self-cleaning, photoactive cotton fibres 

Researchers at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley have created functional cotton fibres that are self-cleaning, anti-microbial, and protective against UV radiation. These photoactive textiles are coated with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) using a novel method with fewer steps and greater efficiency, making them easier to manufacture for domestic, commercial, and military applications than was previously possible.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

The strongest sustainable self-healing adhesive known to date

With the global push for sustainability and waste reduction in mind, scientists at Mississippi State University have produced the strongest self-healing bio-based adhesive known to date to help expand the lifespan of materials, with applications from aerospace to construction and building development.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Agriculture, food, and consumer goods 

Natural, biodegradable coatings to reduce water contamination from fertiliser

Fertilisers are integral to the agricultural industry but often dissolve quickly, leaching and running off into waterways, leading to waste, increased cost, and serious environmental issues from water contamination. To address this issue, a team at the University of Minnesota have created a naturally-derived and biodegradable microporous coating material to facilitate the slow and sustained release of nutrients through a simple spray-coating.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Boosting crop immunity for sustainable agriculture

Researchers represented by TLB GmBH (who represent a number of universities and research facilities in Germany) have developed a unique method of identifying compounds that will boost plant immune systems, providing a more sustainable way of increasing crop yields.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

A supercool way to preserve food and biological materials

Cooling as a preservation method has been used for centuries and is currently an essential element in our supply chains, however, many of the methods compromise the quality, texture and freshness of the product, or its longevity in storage. With the vision to improve on current cooling preservation methods, researchers at the University of Hawaii have developed a supercooling technology that maintains the longevity of the products without compromising on quality or freshness. 

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Odourless natural alternative for preserving liquid foods

To address the rising demand for natural-origin food additives, researchers at the Universitat Politècnica de València have developed a natural antimicrobial system for preserving liquids such as wine, milk and water that overcomes the smell and flavour issues associated with the current few alternatives.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Physical and computational sciences

A new standard for high-resolution colour imaging 

A researcher at Western University has developed a computational process that provides a method of colour imaging that does not rely on absorptive colour filter arrays, which are currently the industry standard for colouring images for applications such as biological imaging. However, these filters block two-thirds of the reflected light, resulting in lower resolution and intensity. This new technology improves collection efficiency up to four times, resulting in increased colour sensitivity and image resolution.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Meeting industry demand for disease identification

Pharma and biotech industries have rapidly expanded in response to the increasing significance of diseases such as cancer, HIV, and Alzheimer’s, and as a result there is a growing need for advanced cell sorting techniques for disease identification. To meet this problem, researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have invented a chip-based droplet sorting method using electromagnetic fields to better identify microbial organisms and combat disease easily without the high cost of more traditional techniques.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Locating your mobile device underground using magnetic fields

Scientists at Oxford University Innovation have developed an innovative method of localising devices, such as smartphones, by utilising the spatial variation of magnetic fields to enable a mobile device to identify its location. This invention overcomes shortcomings associated with GPS positioning, including limited reliability in large indoor spaces or underground, whilst requiring no additional user equipment once integrated into the mobile device.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

A microscale spectrometer in the palm of your hands

Researchers at Lancaster University have developed an optical sensor array to measure light in specific regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. These microscale sensing chips essentially act as spectrometers, but as opposed to their traditional counterparts, they don’t require large components for operation and so can be integrated into small, portable devices such as smartphones or wearable devices.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Notable mentions 

Upcycling plastic from wastewater

It’s no secret that plastic waste is one of the greatest threats to the environment today, with large quantities of commonly used plastics being near-impossible to dispose of due to their chemical resistance. A team at UCL have developed a sustainable, efficient, and non-hazardous method of upcycling PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) into valuable metal halides with applications in water treatment, optical lens manufacture, and metallurgy. 

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Stroke rehabilitation from home

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the UK, but fortunately, vital upper limb rehabilitation has been accelerated by researchers at the University of Sheffield, who have created a smart telerehabilitation platform that can be delivered from the comfort of home.

Read the full project summary to learn more about this top innovations for 2022 feature.

Technologies written by Frances Wilkinson (1, 5, 10), Ella Cliff (2, 13, 18, 19, 20, 22), Anabel Bennett (3, 4, 11, 17), Steph Faulkner (6, 9, 14), Mireia Baizan-Urgell (7, 8, 15), and Daisy Gillot (12, 16, 21).

Edited by Anabel Bennett and Alex Stockham. Formatting by Anabel Bennett.

Copyrights reserved unless otherwise agreed – IN-PART Publishing Ltd., 2022: ‘Top 22 Innovations for 2022’

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