Ricco Fiorito wins Marc Cornelissen Brightlands Award

Ricco Fiorito is the winner of the Marc Cornelissen Brightlands Award 2022. Ricco Fiorito received the trophy from the hands of deputy Stephan Satijn (economy, Brightlands) during the Award Ceremony at Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen. Attached to the award is a cash prize of 35,000 euros, intended to further shape the circular ambitions of the winner.

Cooloo concept

Ricco Fiorito, together with Leo Schraven, is the creator of the Cooloo concept. This is a technology to allow the (furniture) industry to produce more sustainably. Furniture is now difficult to repair or refurbish, Cooloo believes. Through a combination of modeling techniques, the Cooloo concept makes and preserves furniture in one piece. Cooloo operates out of Wanssum.

According to jury chairman Emmo Meijer, Cooloo's concept has many opportunities for further development, including outside the furniture industry. And that, according to the jury, will undoubtedly lead to many new partners who can also work with this concept.

Exciting final

The 2022 edition of the award had a record number of candidates with 28 participants. From that group, the jury selected 6 finalists for the pitch rounds. From those, 3 contenders for the award emerged. In addition to the winner, these were Linda Klunder and Max Dijkstra.

Linda Klunder, co-founder at Kumasi Drinks. With Kumasi Drinks, Linda's team seeks to combat food waste and income wastage by making honest soft drinks from the pulp of the cocoa fruit. Her proposition also calls attention to human rights.

Max Dijkstra wants to restore marine ecosystems on a large scale and in a climate-neutral way with Reefsystems. It focuses on solving destroyed habitats by using artificial reefs. Among other things, Max Dijkstra wants to set up a C02-neutral reef-restoration project in Zeeland.

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