Rockpore, a startup based in Iceland, has successfully obtained grants from the Technology Development Fund in Iceland for their project called "Thermally Bonded Granules: A Sustainable Alternative to Rubber Crumb as infill in Artificial Turf Pitches."
The Technology Development Fund received a total of 422 applications, resulting in a success rate of 20% for sponsored projects.
The allocated grant for new projects amounts to 788 million ISK. However, considering the project duration of up to three years, the total cost reaches 1,440 million ISK.
Rockpore's innovative circular infill material aims to replace approximately 200,000 tonnes of rubber crumbs used annually in artificial turf systems throughout Europe. Notably, in Scandinavia and Iceland, rubber crumbs from artificial turf systems, particularly those exposed to winter conditions, contribute significantly to microplastic pollution in nature and the ocean.
To develop their patent-pending, 100% circular, and inorganic infill material, Rockpore plans to utilize clean waste material and virgin minerals from Iceland's mining and geothermal industry as their primary raw materials.
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