The competition awards two prizes outside the main three: the Public Vote prize, allocated as a result of an open online vote, and the Founder’s Choice prize awarded by the Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina, international philanthropist and businessperson.
The Public Vote prize of €2,000 goes to Tshepiso Motau, BA Honours in Industrial Design from University of Johannesburg, South Africa, for the Swiftguard Early Flood Warning System project. is a revolutionary integrated communication system designed to provide early flood warnings. The system includes a telemetry buoy, a signal tower, and a solar-powered alarm system. These components work seamlessly together to monitor water levels and deliver timely alerts to high-risk areas.
The Founder’s Choice prize of €3,000 is awarded to Emilia Ziolek, a Product Design and Technology student from University of Limerick, Ireland, for the Tidal Energy Turbine Form Redesign with Biomimicry concept. Emilia was recently selected the winner of the Third Prize according to the scores by the international jury. It is the first time that one participant receives two prizes in the competition.
Elena Baturina commented on her choice: “We at BE OPEN have always worked to harness the brainpower of younger people, and five years ago we realised that sustainable development is the sphere that needs their creative potential most. Since then, we have been working globally to support the SDGs and contribute to achieving them via recognizing, showcasing and promoting the best ideas and projects developed by the young in the course of competitions.
In the Tidal Turbine project, I praise the extent of multilateral research, dedication to sustainability and creativity. The solution combines efficient production of green energy, which I am personally very dedicated to, and safety for the marine life and ecosystem; it is not disruptive and draws inspiration from nature itself. I believe it is an excellent example of what our competition strives to achieve.”
BE OPEN strongly believes that creativity of younger people is integral in the shift to sustainable existence, and commits to supporting all initiatives that engage younger people into problem-solving.