Design platform What Design Can Do & Ikea Foundation recently launched the Clean Energy Challenge in 5 cities – São Paulo, Delhi, Nairobi, Mexico City and Amsterdam. This global competition calls on designers and creative entrepreneurs to rethink how we produce, distribute and use energy in metropolitan areas.
Submissions can be submitted until 15th of November
https://www.whatdesigncando.com/CHALLENGE/
CLEAN ENERGY FOR ALL
Burning fossil fuels is the primary cause of climate change, yet this is still our main source of energy. Most of this energy is used in our ever-expanding cities. Cities therefore offer a huge opportunity to transform the way we generate and use energy. We have worked closely with researchers, experts and designers in 5 globally influential cities – São Paulo, Delhi, Nairobi, Mexico City and Amsterdam – to craft challenges specific to these localities.
HOW CAN WE EMBED CLEAN ENERGY IN THE AMSTERDAM CITYSCAPE?
Transitioning away from fossil fuels with today’s technology means changing our cityscapes: retrofitting existing buildings to reduce energy consumption and integrating energy infrastructure more seamlessly across the metropolitan landscape, in our neighbourhoods and in our homes. But strict regulation, a lack of space and the perceived ugliness of clean energy interventions have become a barrier to the adoption of these in Amsterdam’s metropolitan region. Amsterdammers now have an opportunity to rethink how energy can be generated, transported and stored in a way that aligns with the cultural and historical values of the city and its surrounding landscape. This is why, for the metropolitan region of Amsterdam, we are calling for creative spatial interventions, products, services, systems and stories that reconcile liveability with the need to transition to renewable energy.
WHY JOIN THE CHALLENGE
There are separate tracks for students, creative professionals and start-ups. 25 winners, selected from 5 cities by an international jury, will have a chance to win a production budget and a tailor-made acceleration programme aimed at making the winning
ideas, prototypes or start-ups market and investment ready.
INITIATE
Call for Participation: 4 September – 15 November 2018
NOMINATE
Selection of the Nominees: 15 November – 14 December
IMPROVE
Refinement of the Nominated Ideas: 15 December – 14 February 2019
TRIUMPH
Selection of the Winners: 15 February – 6 March
ACCELERATE
Acceleration Programme for Winners: March – July
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Implementation: July onwards
