A diabetes monitoring earring; an Underground air pollution solution; an alternative to Styrofoam made of food waste; a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome prevention device; a skin patch that monitors nutrition data and superworms that convert plastic into organic matter.
Today sees the unveiling of 100 ideas from over 40 countries that could change the way we live
• Global Grad Show, the world’s most diverse gathering of graduate ideas for social impact, unveils 5 trends that are the top-of-mind challenges according to graduates from 60 countries
• A multi-media, interactive exhibition will showcase 100 projects that provide solutions to social and environmental challenges
• 22 Asian universities were selected from 1,600 submissions from 270 universities, from the most established institutions in Western Europe, USA and Israel to universities in China, Philippines, India, Singapore, Thailand
South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan
• Selected students will be invited to a new cohort of the entrepreneurship programme that accelerates the development of impact innovations
22 Asian entrants are among the 100 chosen submissions to be showcased in Global Grad Show, a virtual and interactive year-long exhibition, launched today. The ideas are the outcome of rigorous academic research conducted by graduates and their professors, reflecting areas of deepest environmental, social or economic concern, such as the world’s aging population, the number of people living with chronic illness, the radical approaches dealing with waste and the increasing number of communities vulnerable to emergencies.
India
• An over jacket made up of bamboo fabric to protect waste collectors from disease whilst working, Bangalore University, India
• A flood emergency design that creates safe movement for people getting from one place to another during flood like situations, Pearl Academy
• A modular air purification system which is versatile and flexible enough to be deployed in multiple scenarios, IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay
• A thin, non-intrusive dissolvable bandaid-like sticker that displays directions to guide you to your intended location, Indian School of Design & Innovation
• A unique material that reduces mining for natural resources by 60% through recycling of post-industrial fired ceramic waste, National Institute of Design
Philippines
• A smart solar street lighting system that provides internet connectivity, access to clean energy and better lighting, De La Salle University, Philippines
• A device that allows users to track their electricity consumption and bill in real-time, Anteneo de Manila University, Philippines
Singapore
• Using Durian fruit as an alternative to Styrofoam, National University of Singapore
• A product that monitors the reproductive health stages for women, National University of Singapore
• A vending machine that encourages citizens to give a second life to used plastic bags, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)
Thailand
• A dog waste scooper made from fruit waste, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
South Korea
• A pillow that prevents users from going on their phones before bed to get a better sleep, Samsung Art and Design Institute (SADI), South Korea
China
• A renewable material folding hat that provides safety for children commuting between home and school in backward mountainous areas, Zhejiang University
• A piece of technology that detects real time data in the environment and live performance is also carried out, Central Academy of Fine Arts
• A sustainable looping product and system that provides a solution to air pollution caused by wheat straw incineration, Hunan University, China
• A device that can recycle paper receipts and other wastes (coffee grounds, tea grounds etc.) onsite into useful paper cup sleeves, East China Normal University
• An inhalation drug treatment that is designed to help patients achieve higher inhalation efficiency, Tongji University
• A children’s family programming learning toolkit that contains scientific and technological inventions, Hunan University
Hong Kong
• A future bus seat and interior design solution for the aging population in the future, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design
Indonesia
• A low-cost portable water container that allows easy navigation, Pearl Academy
• A project that utilizes the Papua Noken material for alternative products, Pelita Harapan University
Japan
• Branding that is used to communicate relevant instructions to consumers that will contribute to solve a humanitarian issue, Keio University Graduate School of Media Design
The programme, now in its sixth year, and held in partnership with Dubai Culture and A.R.M Holding, saw entries rise by 30% and features ideas from leading institutions such as Imperial College and Harvard, alongside first-time representation from countries such as Indonesia, El Salvador and Oman.
The projects will be brought to life in an inaugural interactive digital exhibition on globalgradshow.com, giving a voice to the next generation of innovators and connecting the public and potential investors all over the world with ideas that have the potential to change lives. The virtual exhibition will showcase the graduates behind each one of ideas and will also see prototypes, films and original research material visually curated for online visitors to engage and interact with.
The chosen projects have been organised around five key emerging trends that were identified from the 1,600 applications from 270 universities in 60 countries. Those trends are:
– Living with Illness & Disability
– Coping in a Complex World
– Saving and protecting vulnerable lives
– Cleaning a Waste Filled Planet
-Sustaining the Urban Experience
Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Director, Global Grad Show comments: “Over the last six months we’ve been reminded just how vital good health, balanced natural ecosystems and well-equipped public services are to a happy, productive and future-ready society. Equally, we’ve paid more attention than ever to the power of new technologies in optimising resources, shortening distances and minimising collateral damage.”
“Thankfully, a significant number of the innovations that tackle head-first big social and environmental challenges of our time are under way. Often unbeknownst to the general public, researchers inside universities are developing a myriad of solutions for complex issues of today and tomorrow. From medical engineering to architecture and data science, young graduates are at the forefront of complex problem-solving, working on technologies for the greater good.”
“As evidenced by the +1,600 entries we reviewed for Global Grad Show 2020, many of these are looking for more efficient, equitable and humane healthcare systems, for patients and medical staff. This is more crucial now than ever before.”
“By offering these graduates a development programme, we hope to accelerate the creation of solutions to communities around the world. We do that by bringing together know-how and key private and public stakeholders, together creating collaboration and funding opportunities to our community.”
Global entries include:
• A fluorescent hat for commuting children walking in the dark, Zhejiang University, China
• An autonomous weeding robot for small-scale urban farmers, Lund University School of Industrial Design, Sweden
• Using Durian fruit as an alternative to Styrofoam, National University of Singapore
• A temperature regulating curtain, University of Arts, Berlin
• A device which replaces clinical sounds with colour during chemotherapy treatment, RMIT, Australia
• A CO2 eliminator using green bacterial technology, Unaula University, Colombia
• A fire fighting light aircraft with a targeted foam firing bionic arm, Universidad Privada del Norte, Peru
• An airbag belt to cushion the elderly from falls, University of Limerick, Ireland
• Low cost shoes made from recycled bottle plastics for school-girls walking lengthy distances, Mackerere University, Uganda
A year-round activation, Global Grad Show entrepreneurship programme supports innovators to materialize their real-world impact. Through training, mentorship, connections with the industry and funding opportunities, it accelerates the process of bringing graduate projects to life. The focus is to develop business skills and offer structured startup-building route to participants. Last year, A.R.M. Holding pledged over £2 million (AED 10 million) for a 10-year fund to help talents from Global Grad Show entrepreneurship programme to advance towards market launch, having already supported eight projects.
Global Grad Show’s Covid-19 initiative, one of the first international open calls to innovators addressing Covid-19 challenges, has four projects currently undergoing entrepreneurship training, with one advancing to pilot stage:
• Foresight: an AI system which processes clinical information of patients in intensive care units, capable of predicting and alerting patient heath deterioration, up to 48hrs earlier than current diagnosis alternatives. The system was designed to be easily integrated into hospitals, using data already commonly collected by intensive care units, being capable of streamlining patient care around the world. The founder is Sam Tukra, currently undertaking a PhD at Imperial College London in AI and Advanced Machine Vision.
ENDS
Further Information – Global Grad Show
Global Grad Show, an initiative by the Art Dubai Group, is a year-round programme for graduates and universities working on Social Impact Innovation projects in the fields of design, science, technology and engineering. It aims to promote graduates on an international stage providing them with development opportunities through its Entrepreneurship Programme which helps innovators to accelerate projects towards market implementation.
Besides being a platform for promotion and discovery, over the last five years 700 innovative projects, selected from over 5,000 applications, have taken part in the programme, the only one of its kind, helping to drive the development of innovations created by graduates from over 20 countries, through the Progress Prize, which awards and celebrates the next generation of innovators.
In 2019, A.R.M. Holding pledged an AED 10 million (£2.1 million) 10-year fund to help talents from Global Grad Show to develop their business models and go to market, having already supported 8 projects so far.
This year Global Grad Show participants will be invited to apply to the new cohort of the Entrepreneurship Programme, which to date has supported 30 projects, in fields ranging from medical to waste management and from mental health to migrating communities.
All participating students will go through month-long entrepreneurial training including business advice sessions and mentorship support before being shortlisted to present. All shortlisted students then participate in two months of tailored acceleration hot housing with venture capital experts ahead of displaying their demos to A.R.M, in the hope of receiving funding.
Two projects from Global Grad Show 2019 Entrepreneurship Programme are the first recipients of seed capital from the A.R.M. Holding Fund – SpectrumLab, a reflective paint that changes its colour based on temperature developed by graduates from the Politecnico di Torino and Collège des Ingénieurs and Safe Cooking, a portable stove for communities without access to clean and safe cooking methods, developed by a graduate from the University of Karachi.
Global Grad Show also engages its community through knowledge exchange opportunities, where academics and industry professionals share their experiences and insights about innovation and solutions for a better future. Recently named as one of the key initiatives under the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority’s plan to realize its vision of evolving Dubai into a global hub for culture and innovation, Global Grad Show has built a community of over 260 universities across the world that includes the world’s leading institutions alongside those from developing countries.
This year’s initiative will also be added to with the launch of a MENA show specifically to support regional talent. The programme, which received more than 200 submissions from 35 universities based on the Middle East and North Africa will inaugurate a physical exhibition focusing on talent from the region, as part of Dubai Design Week.
Visit www.globalgradshow.com for further information.
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Sharmee Mavadia
Managing Director | Sharp PR
[email protected]
