Celebrating the Visionaries of the Designing Futures 2050 Competition for Sustainable Development Goals

Celebrating Innovation in Sustainability: Winners of Designing Futures 2050

The BE OPEN Foundation has recently announced the impactful winners of the Designing Futures 2050 International Student Competition. This initiative, dedicated to promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has successfully concluded its sixth iteration, encouraging students and young professionals worldwide to articulate actionable ideas for a sustainable future.

This year’s competition had participants tackle pressing issues through design and innovation, emphasizing the importance of reinterpreting the SDGs in a contemporary context. Contestants were invited to submit their concepts under three thematic categories: Battling the Problems of Today, Creating the Visions of Tomorrow, and Adjusting the SDGs. The event attracted a diverse array of proposals, highlighting the creativity and insight of young thinkers from various backgrounds.

Elena Baturina, the founder of BE OPEN, expressed her dedication to fostering future leaders equipped to address global challenges. She stated, "For six consecutive years, BE OPEN has championed the UN SDGs through global student design challenges. Each year, we receive numerous remarkable submissions from young creatives, confirming our belief that inspiring youth is the most effective route toward meaningful change. Our mission focuses on nurturing a generation proficient in creativity, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing, vital for tackling future challenges."

The renowned Founder's Choice Prize, worth €3000, awarded by Baturina herself, was conferred upon Jeanne Begon-Lours and Lucy Dain-Williams, both Master’s students in Environmental Technology at Imperial College London. Their project, Tera Mira, proposes a novel approach to creating a biodegradable, bio-based substitute for elastane through the natural stretch properties of seaweed. This innovative solution addresses key environmental concerns by replacing harmful materials and reducing reliance on fossil fuels, thus tackling the negative impacts associated with microplastics and toxicity.

The Public Vote Prize, along with a €2000 grant, was awarded to CALMs (Computer Aided Learning Management Suite), developed by Komborero Victor Kangai and Tinotenda Chrispen Makoni, students at the High Achievers Coach International Academy in Zimbabwe. Their project seeks to bridge the digital divide in education, leveraging Television White Spaces (TVWS) technology to facilitate low-cost, reliable connectivity and offline learning. This platform ensures educational access for students in low-network areas, addressing systemic inequalities in the education system.

Beyond the monetary prizes, winners will gain access to valuable educational opportunities and a fully funded trip to an esteemed sustainability-focused event, where they can present their projects to potential decision-makers and a global audience.

The Designing Futures 2050 competition serves as a vital platform for emerging innovators, empowering them to come up with creative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. By incentivizing fresh perspectives on sustainability, BE OPEN not only cultivates talent but also ignites a passion for engaging with the SDGs, which are crucial for ensuring a sustainable future for all.

A comprehensive overview of the initiatives and projects that emerged from this year's competition reflects a growing enthusiasm for combating global challenges through innovation. It also emphasizes a collective responsibility to inspire and educate future generations, a mission at the core of BE OPEN’s philosophy. With determined minds like those of the competition’s winners at the forefront, there is optimism that sustainable development can be woven into the very fabric of society’s future.

In a world where the climate crisis is a palpable concern, competitions like these highlight the importance of creativity in safeguarding our planet. As these young visionaries step forward with their groundbreaking ideas, they illuminate the path toward a more sustainable and equitable world, embodying the essence of the SDGs and the hope for generations to come.