First Chinese Wins EPO Young Inventors' Prize 

European Patent Office (EPO) recently revealed the winners of the 2025 Young Inventors' Prize, recognising young innovators who dedicate time and effort to solving real-world problems through science and technology. Among this year's top 10 innovators selected from over 450 candidates worldwide was Ms. Wen Roujia, who became the first Chinese winner of the Young Inventors' Prize.

Ms. Wen and her collaborator, Ms. Alisha Fredriksson, received the prize for developing a retrofittable carbon capture system that enables shipowners to reduce emissions without replacing their existing fleets. Wen and Fredriksson co-founded a startup that captures CO2 by binding it into solid form using calcium-based materials. The captured CO2, transformed into solid limestone pellets, can either be regenerated for further use or repurposed for industrial applications such as construction materials. As noted by Wen, ships produce about three percent of global CO2 emissions, and their invention provides a stable, scalable solution for reducing emissions at sea.

Launched in 2022 and aimed at individuals 30 and under, Young Inventors' Prize showcases the transformative power of youth-driven solutions contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Challenges tackled by this year's innovations covered issues in e-waste, rare earth recovery, aviation, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, carbon capture, food security, and environmental protection.