All teams competing at the European Regional Final are invited to register for their preferred themes. Please submit your first and second choice by August 27th 12PM CEST.
We will contact you and your National Lead as soon as we have allocated all of the teams into the relevant Theme category, this happens the week of the August 31st.
Sept 3rd is the deadline to submit your pitches & slides and the date of the start-up briefing. Submission instructions have been provided to your National Lead.
Please remember that the pitches will take place on Zoom on the morning of Sept 10th. You are, of course, encouraged to tailor the presentation more towards the topic of the Theme.
Brief descriptions:
1. Circular economies
Circular economies are regenerative by design and benefit businesses, society, and the environment.
This theme is aimed at innovations that decouple economic growth from unsustainable resources and greenhouse gas emissions. The three principles of a circular economy are to eliminate waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems. In short: no more ‘take-make-waste’.
2. Healthy, clean cities
Cities consume 75% of the world’s natural resources, produce half the planet’s waste and generate 60-80% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
For this theme we are looking for business ideas that help transform urban environments into decarbonised beacons. And for innovations targeted at climate-resilient cities with nature-based urban infrastructure solutions to combat extreme heat and urban flooding.
3. Resilient regions
Climate change challenges economic development and well-being are challenged in volatile societies.
This theme focuses on ideas that help regions become more agile. We are looking for solutions that support carbon-intensive regions to transform into zero-carbon innovation hotspots.
4. Climate-friendly food systems
Food production is a key industry to achieve significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
For this theme we are interested in start-ups pioneering the global transition to climate-smart food production. New approaches that decarbonise the sector, making it more efficient and productive.
5. Sustainable mobility
So much is still to gain in mobility: 29% of all green houses gas emissions are caused by transportation.
This theme supports ideas that catalyse the shift towards clean-energy mobility models. Focus areas: battery technology, smart energy management systems, renewable energy use and ‘mobility-as-a-service’.
6. Clean energy systems
The energy transition requires bridging today’s systems to future ones. Hydropower, bioenergy, solar and wind add complexity that old systems have trouble to accommodate.
For this theme we need ideas that evolve around storage, smart power grids, integrating wind, solar and bioenergy, carbon capture, CO2 mitigation of chemical and industrial processes and efficient energy use in buildings.
7. The Next Big Thing
Game changing unexplored technologies is what we are looking for with this theme. Promising innovations with the potential to create massive impact on a global scale. The stuff that is not yet mainstream, but that could change markets, regions or societies. We are looking for ideas that make our jury members wonder if this is The Next Big Thing to fix climate change.
8. Cleantech
This is a bit of a broader theme at the core of our competition. Within cleantech we focus on ideas that provide superior performance at lower costs; that reduce or eliminate negative climate impact and improve responsible use of natural resources.
