The winners in the 2026 R&D 100 Awards Special Recognition categories have been announced by R&D World. The honorees were selected by an esteemed judging panel including over 50 well-respected industry professionals from across the world.
These and other winners will be celebrated at the R&D 100 Awards Banquet in Scottsdale, Arizona on November 19th.
2026 Green Tech Winners
The University of Colorado Boulder’s mesoporous optically clear heat insulators (MOCHIs) act as “frozen air,” delivering >99.5% visible-light transmission (outperforming 92% of glass) and ~10 mWm⁻¹K⁻¹ thermal conductivity (outperforming Mars Rover aerogels). Square-meter-large and inch-thick MOCHIs enable wall-grade insulated windows and skylights, glazing retrofits, unconcentrated solar thermal energy harvesting, and condensation-free super-insulated vehicle windshields
CarbonLock Blocks turns concrete into a permanent carbon vault. By capturing CO₂ and mineralising it within calcium-rich material, the concrete can achieve about 1% CO₂ uptake by mass. Each kilogram of added biochar delivers around 2 kilograms of carbon reduction, while AI optimisation reduces cement use and improves material quality.
Pintura Autoenfriante is a water-based paint formulated with nanotechnology, capable of reflecting most solar radiation and efficiently emitting thermal energy toward the cold of space (high SRI). As a result, it can reduce indoor temperatures by up to 5°C compared to ambient conditions, lowering energy consumption and reducing carbon emissions.
2026 Corporate Social Responsibility Winners
The perforated bipolar membrane electrochemical conversion system turns waste CO2 into high-value chemicals using electricity, with formic acid production costs projected as low as $0.60 per kilogram. The laboratory describes it as the only electrochemical CO2 conversion technology to reach commercial viability, and says industries can use it today to cut energy consumption and costs while tapping multibillion-dollar chemical markets.
ALTRIOS is a validated, freely available open-source digital twin for the freight rail system. It replaces siloed legacy tools with unified simulations of train components, locomotives, fleets, rail networks, and freight terminals, plus energy use and costs over decades, to de-risk long-term, capital-intensive deployments.
The multi-modal, non-destructive sensing technique combines triboelectric analysis, dielectric and impedance spectroscopy, capacitance measurement, and mid-infrared spectroscopy with machine learning to quantify recycled content in plastics. The team reports better than 97% classification accuracy on PET samples ranging from 0% to 50% recycled content, the range regulators are expected to mandate. The work was published in Communications Engineering in March 2026.
2026 Market Disruptor Winners
ICONS novel neutron detection technology accurately measures neutrons in both low- and high-flux environments, even in the presence of strong gamma radiation. ICONS responds rapidly, enabling real-time measurements of short neutron bursts or high-rate neutron sources. ICONS overcomes supply-chain constraints using naturally abundant, commercially available lithium-6 rather than scarce helium-3.
ENDURING is a low-cost, long-duration thermal energy storage technology that uses heated sand to provide hours to days of energy supply for power or heating, reducing energy costs and improving electric grid resilience. ENDURING surpasses competitors thanks to its versatile design, cost-effective scaling, and innovative system configuration.
Multi-Event Grid Intelligence Platform for Wildfire Prevention and Resilience (AWARE) detects, classifies, and reports multiple power-grid anomalies within a single waveform, including low-current arcing. It provides utilities with early warning of hidden faults to help prevent wildfires, reduce outages, and improve grid resilience, reliability, and operational decision-making.
Congratulations to all of the Special Recognition winners!
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