Each year, the Invent Oregon Finals  bring together the brightest student innovators from across the state — and 2025 was truly one for the history books. Hosted this summer at Portland State University , the 2025 InventOR Finals  showcased Oregon’s next generation of changemakers: 20+ finalist teams , over 200 attendees , and a community of entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors  all gathered to celebrate bold ideas that make a difference. From sustainable materials and medical breakthroughs...

Plastic waste is one of the world’s biggest environmental challenges — but Chloe Hsy  and Luka Mosidze  from Reed College  are thinking smaller to solve it. Much smaller. Their project, MicroCycle , uses specially cultivated plastic-eating bacteria to break down unrecyclable plastics and transform them into valuable industrial chemicals. It’s a bold idea that blends biology, chemistry, and environmental science into a sustainable circular-economy model. The Reed team’s innovation not only...

For most of us, turning on a faucet or stove is routine — but for families with small children, seniors, or people with disabilities, it can be risky. That’s where Burn Buddies  from the University of Portland  comes in. Created by Shoji Mori, Lucy Wu, and Evelyn Bang , Burn Buddies is an automatic valve system that prevents scalding injuries and detects leaks before they become hazards. The team’s design is as simple as it is powerful — easy to install, reliable, and potentially life-saving....