A new competition is encouraging students to create everyday innovations that solve future challenges. The competition is part of the Future Infinite and Future Infinite Academic conferences, organised by Finland Futures Research Centre at the University of Turku and Messukeskus. These conferences will be held on 11–13 June 2014 at Wanha Satama, Helsinki.
The population is growing and ageing, unemployment is on the rise, and climate change will cause extreme weather phenomena.
“Even the smallest shifts in our complex environment can have immense consequences. Future challenges may nonetheless be solved. In the best case scenario, challenges create great new business opportunities,” says Futurist Elina Hiltunen of What’s Next Consulting.
“This competition seeks solutions to environmental matters and climate change, the ageing of the population, loneliness, youth unemployment, mental health problems, poverty, sufficiency of clean water, and the status of women, for example,” Hiltunen adds.
The jury will judge competition entries in light of their innovativeness, problem solving, attention factor, visual fascination and grasp of the future.
The Everyday Innovations of the Future competition is open to students or student groups studying in Finnish vocational institutions, universities of applied sciences and higher education institutions. The competition deadline is 1 April 2014. The results will be published and prizes will be awarded on 12 June 2014, at an exhibition held during the Future Infinite conference. The prize sum of 3,000 euros will be donated by the Finnish Fair Foundation.
The members of the jury include Elina Hiltunen, What’s Next Consulting (Chair), Director Juha Kaskinen, Finland Futures Research Centre, Research Professor Jyrki Luukkanen, Finland Futures Research Centre, Strategy Director Erik Bäckman, Miltton Oy, Editorial Writer Ilkka Lampi, Kauppalehti, Managing Director Christer Haglund, Messukeskus, and Product Development ManagerReija Könönen, Messukeskus.
For further information and enquiries concerning the competition, please contact:
Elina Hiltunen, What’s Next Consulting, whatsnext@luukku.com, tel. +358 (0)44 0299 122
Reija Könönen, reija.kononen@messukeskus.com, tel. +358 (0)50 560 4614
The rules of the competition are available at www.futureinfinite.fi
