#BE OPEN #Switzerland #Lugano #Designing Futures #UN Goals

BE OPEN Announces Winners of Designing Futures 2050

On June 11, 2025, BE OPEN revealed the winners of its prestigious competition, Designing Futures 2050, which aims to engage students, graduates, and young professionals in developing groundbreaking solutions for a sustainable future in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This initiative reflects a commitment to nurture and inspire the next generation of creatives to tackle pressing global challenges related to sustainability. Since the program's inception, it has garnered participation from innovative young minds who submit rigorous and imaginative projects aimed at creating impactful change.

Elena Baturina, Founder of BE OPEN, emphasized the importance of this competition, stating, "For the past six years, we’ve been dedicated to supporting the UN SDGs by engaging students through international design contests. Each year, we witness a wealth of outstanding creative submissions from youth around the globe, affirming our belief that empowering them is the best way to inspire positive change. Our goal is to provide a foundation of knowledge and encouragement, preparing young people to face the challenges ahead. We aspire to inspire them to actively shape the future by offering avenues for creative expression, collaboration, and learning."

The core objective of Designing Futures 2050 is to promote real-world applications of sustainability principles and encourage young creatives to partake in reshaping the SDG agenda to reflect contemporary realities. Participants are motivated to play a significant role in updating and implementing actions for a sustainable future.

The results were evaluated by an esteemed international jury comprised of futurists, academics, and industry professionals, including Professor Jennifer Gidley, a prominent future studies expert recognized among the world’s top 50 female futurists, and Victor Vahidi Motti, Co-founder and President of the Alternative Planetary Futures Institute.

The winners were awarded grants believing in their innovative ideas:

• - First Prize: Winning a 5,000 Euro grant, Ajisafe Damilola Ifeoluwa from Nigeria proposed Redefining Global Healthcare, focusing on SDG adaptations for scalable practical impacts.
• - Second Prize (shared): Two winners, each receiving a 2,500 Euro grant:

- Foday David Kamara from Rwanda with Ecovironment, converting plastic waste into sustainable building materials.
- Adnan Hasyim Wibowo from Indonesia with AGASA (Algae for Sustainable Action), promoting sustainability through algae installations.

Additionally, the recipients of the