BE OPEN has identified the winners of the Public Vote and Founder’s Choice Prizes in Designing Futures 2050, our sixth international competition for students, graduates, and young professionals within the programme to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals..
The competition programme was established by BE OPEN in 2019 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.
The 2024 UN SDG Report, presented by Secretary-General António Guterres, paints a sad picture: only 17% of SDG targets are on track, while nearly half are seeing limited or moderate progress, and over a third are regressing. The aftermath of COVID-19, rising geopolitical tensions, conflict, and climate disruptions have significantly hindered advancement.
Designing Futures 2050 sought to spotlight practical applications of sustainable principles by encouraging creative minds to contribute to a global shift toward responsible development. The competition encouraged participants to reinterpret the SDGs in light of present-day realities and propose actionable, scalable strategies. Entrants could submit their work under three thematic categories: Battling the Problems of Today, Creating the Visions of Tomorrow, Adjusting the SDGs.
Elena Baturina, Founder of BE OPEN, commented on the finalisation of the competition: “For six consecutive years, BE OPEN has championed the UN SDGs through global student design and innovation challenges. Every year, we receive hundreds of remarkable, insightful, and imaginative submissions from young creatives across the globe. This continuous engagement confirms our belief that educating and inspiring youth is the most effective route toward impactful change. Our mission is to nurture a generation capable of addressing future challenges through creativity, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration.”
The Founder’s Choice Prize of 3000 euro, allocated by Elena Baturina herself, goes to the Jeanne Begon-Lours and Lucy Dain-Williams, MSc in Environmental Technology at the Imperial College London for Tera Mira, Working with Nature to Drive Meaningful Change in Stretch Textiles.
Their project consists in developing a bio-based alternative to elastane, using seaweed’s natural stretch properties. They are transforming this natural resource into a stretchable fibre that mimics the performance of elastane. Their solution addresses key industry challenges by using seaweed—a resource that grows without land, fertilisers, or fresh water—as a truly sustainable, petrochemical-free alternative. This eliminates dependence on fossil fuels, reduces toxicity, and prevents microplastic pollution. It is designed to avoid waste accumulation and be compatible with existing textile production processes and upcoming regulations. The team started developing a prototype within Imperial College’s Undaunted Greenhouse programme.
The title of the Public Vote Prize winner and the 2000 euro grant goes to CALMs: Computer Aided Learning Management Suite by Komborero Victor Kangai and Tinotenda Chrispen Makoni, students of Physics, Maths and Computer Science at the High Achievers Coach International Academy of Zimbabwe.
CALMS is an innovative e-learning platform designed to address the digital divide in Zimbabwe’s education system, particularly in rural and underserved areas where internet access is unreliable and costly. The project leverages Television White Spaces (TVWS) technology to provide low-cost, stable connectivity and offline learning capabilities, ensuring continuous educational access even in low-network areas.
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.