2019 European Social Innovation Competition Launched
The 2019 European Social Innovation Competition has officially begun. Last week, the European Commission launched the competition with a ceremony in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Each year the Competition addresses a different issue facing Europe. The 2019 theme is Challenging Plastic Waste – seeking ideas and projects that aim to reduce plastic waste by targeting systemic change at the local, national and European level.
The European Social Innovation Competition was founded in 2013 in memory of Portuguese politician and technology advocate Diogi Vasconcelos. The competition is open to all EU Member States and Horizon 2020 associated countries – including Georgia. The call goes out to anyone interested, including social innovators, entrepreneurs, students, designers, businesses, doers, makers and change creators.
Entrants are evaluated by a team of independent judges, who select the top three projects to win the prize – €50,000 each. The 2019 competition will run until autumn, with the winners awarded in October. In its own words, the competition “acts as a beacon for social innovators in Europe, employing a proven methodology for supporting early-stage ideas and facilitating a network of radical innovators shaping society for the better.”
Projects in 2019 are expected to offer solutions that improve existing processes or introduce new products and initiatives to reduce plastic waste and littering. Within the competition theme, the solutions must be scalable, must target change at the systemic level, and must be rooted in one of the following areas: Reducing the consumption of single use plastic products; recycling, reusing, and upcycling existing plastic waste; dealing with accumulated plastic waste in landfills and the environment; changing consumer behaviors, or retail and wider business practices; implementing alternative business models and optimizing supply chains; introducing new materials fit for a circular economy or that offer sustainable alternatives to fossil-based plastics.
“We collect more than 27 million tons of plastic waste in Europe per year. Whilst addressing plastic waste is a big challenge, it is also an opportunity to innovate and create new solutions. That is why this year we are calling for ideas to tackle this societal issue, laying the foundations for new business models, new forms of cooperation and stimulating new ways of doing things for a better, cleaner and more sustainable future for all,” said Slawomir Tokarski, Director in charge of Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing at the European Commission.
The European Commission (EC), the EU institution responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the Union, has several existing plastic-reducing measures in place. The EC developed the first-ever Europe-wide Plastics Strategy, launched the Circular Plastics Alliance at the end of last year, and runs a voluntary pledges campaign. These initiatives lay the groundwork for “a transition towards a more circular economy, fostering growth and innovation,” says the EC.
At the Launch Event in Ljubljana, a zero-waste city recognized by multiple awards for sustainability and green development, attendees learned about the competition’s details and heard from one of last year’s winners, HeritageLab, an Indian organization dedicated to connecting citizens to museums, art, and heritage. Attendees also participated in a discussion on plastic waste with 2019 competition judges, and a mini hackathon to brainstorm initial ideas. The final event of the launch was called “Toasted Furniture,” a social art exhibit from Slovenian artists Nuša Jelenec and Nina Mršnik that highlights how plastic waste can be transformed into colorful panels to build furniture and home décor.
Applications to the competition are open until Thursday, April 4. For more information, visit: www.eusic.org
By Samantha Guthrie
Image source: European Commission