Senior Geomatics student Abdurrahman Bejjaj took first place in this year’s Big Idea Competition, which awards funding to UF students to help them grow their business ideas. Abdu is the creator of Ignition Packaging, a company that develops sustainable packaging materials. His goal, as he described to judges, is to create and distribute these materials at a scale large enough to reduce the world’s reliance on harmful plastics.

Abdu’s award comes with $25,000 in seed funding that will accelerate Ignition Packaging’s path to commercial readiness; supporting advanced product testing, R&D, and early customer partnerships. We spoke with him to learn more about his plans for his business, how he applies his Geomatics training, and the road he sees himself taking after graduation.

What sparked your interest in sustainable materials?

I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of science and real-world impact. When I was 10 years old, I experimented with making biodegradable plastics out of milk in my kitchen. That early curiosity stuck with me. I saw how sustainable materials could solve problems far bigger than myself. Over time, I realized sustainable materials aren’t just about science or innovation in the lab; they’re about protecting our environment, reshaping industries, and building a better future at scale.

Why packaging in particular?

Packaging is one of the largest contributors to plastic pollution. Nearly everything we buy is wrapped, shipped, or stored in it, and most of it ends up in landfills or the ocean. I chose to focus on packaging because it’s the perfect leverage point: If we can reinvent packaging at scale, we can change the footprint of entire industries.

When did you start Ignition Packaging? 

I founded Ignition Packaging in May 2024. Since then, we’ve grown into lab space at San Felasco Tech City, a sustainable campus powered entirely by solar, where we develop and test our biodegradable formulations. We also maintain small office footprints in Gainesville and Alachua, but our heartbeat is the lab, where the real breakthroughs happen.

How will you use the funds from the Big Idea Competition?

The funds will go directly into accelerating our R&D, refining our biodegradable packaging materials to be stronger, more durable, and cost-competitive with plastics. At the same time, we’ll use part of the funding to deepen customer partnerships and prepare for pilot programs, moving our innovations from the lab toward real-world impact.

Why did you choose to study Geomatics at UF?

Geomatics combines technology, data, and problem-solving in ways that directly translate to entrepreneurship and sustainability. It’s about seeing systems as a whole, understanding how things connect and how to optimize them. UF’s program gave me the flexibility to pursue my entrepreneurial path while also grounding me in technical expertise that I apply every day at Ignition Packaging.

Where are you in your degree program?

I’m currently a senior at UF studying Geomatics with a focus in Geospatial Analysis and a certificate in Artificial Intelligence.

What are your plans after school?

After graduation, I’ll be fully focused on scaling Ignition Packaging. Our immediate priority is to bring compostable protective packaging to market as a sustainable alternative to conventional foams, and from there, expand into broader single-use plastic alternatives. Long term, I want to build a global company that redefines how we package and ship goods. My background in Geomatics gives me the systems-thinking mindset to drive that vision forward.

At the end of the day, my goal isn’t just to grow a company. It’s to build solutions that outlast me, protect our environment, and rewrite the story of packaging so that sustainability becomes the standard, not the exception.

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