BE OPEN has identified the winners of the First, Second and Third prizes for “Designing Futures 2050,” its sixth international competition for students, graduates, and young professionals. This initiative seeks to inspire the creation of innovative solutions by young creatives for a sustainable and prosperous future, aligning with the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Programme.
In 2019, BE OPEN established the competition programme to raise awareness among young professionals in creative and engineering fields about the urgent need for action regarding the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to this one, BE OPEN has held 5 competitions and covered SDGs 2, 7, 11, 12, and 13.
Elena Baturina, Founder of BE OPEN told about the project: “For the past six years, we at BE OPEN have worked to support the Sustainable Development Goals by running international student design competitions. Every year we collect a plethora of outstanding, well-researched creative projects from young people all over the world. Every year we get reassurance that educating and motivating young people to become leaders of sustainable change is the best way forward. Our vision is to create a foundation of knowledge and encouragement for young people to navigate the challenges ahead. By providing opportunities for creative expression, collaboration, and learning, we hope to inspire them to take ownership of shaping the future.”
In the 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres states that “only 17 per cent of the SDG targets are on track, nearly half are showing minimal or moderate progress, and progress on over one third has stalled or even regressed. The scarring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and growing climate chaos are hitting SDG progress hard… This report highlights the urgent need for stronger and more effective international cooperation to maximize progress starting now.”
In view of that data, the latest Designing Futures 2050 competition aimed to foster the realistic application of sustainability principles by identifying, showcasing, and promoting creative ideas that facilitate a global transition toward a sustainable and efficient future. It involved younger creatives into updating the SDG agenda in the light of the realities of today, and encourages them to take a larger part in the actualization and implementation of the realistic sustainable actions plan.
Participants could choose their approach to the challenge from three submission categories: Battling the Problems of Today; Creating the Visions of Tomorrow; and Adjusting the Sustainable Development Goals.
By the amount of scores assigned to the entries, the winners list goes as follows:
- First Prize Winner: a 5000 euro grant goes to Redefining Global Healthcare: adjusting the SDGs for scalable practical impact by Ajisafe Damilola Ifeoluwa, Nigeria.
- Second Prize Winner 1: a 2500 euro grant goes to Ecovironment: Transforming Plastic Waste into Sustainable Construction Materialsby Foday David Kamara, Rwanda.
- Second Prize Winner 2: a 2500 euro grant goes to AGASA or Algae for Sustainable Action: blooming sustainability through algae installation by Adnan Hasyim Wibowo, Indonesia.
Since Ecovironment and AGASA received equal scores from the jury, both the entries become the Second Prize Winners and receive equal grants of 2500 euro each.
The winners of the Public Vote and the Founder’s Choice prize which gets selected by BE OPEN’s founder Elena Baturina from the 50 honourable mentions, will be announced later this month.
In addition to the money grants, all the winners will be awarded access to relevant educational opportunities and a fully paid trip to a major sustainability-related event in order to be able to present their projects to decision makers and global audiences.
BE OPEN firmly believes that creativity is essential for transitioning to a sustainable existence. To achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, innovative and design thinking is crucial. Design serves as a vital tool for implementing the UN SDGs.