LONDON, 9th December, 2024 (WAM) – Two graduates from the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation were declared winners of Terra Carta Design Lab competition today.
This was revealed as the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Terra Carta Design Lab, launched in 2021 by His Majesty King Charles III and designer Sir Jony Ive, today revealed the eight winners of its 2024 global design competition seeking student-led solutions to the climate and biodiversity crisis.
This year’s winners, chosen from a shortlist of 40 finalists, present solutions to a range of climate and biodiversity concerns including air pollution, wildfires, and circular fashion. They have been selected by Sir Jony Ive, designer of some of Apple’s most iconic products, Chancellor of the Royal College of Art, and founder of design collective LoveFrom; and Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative. The winners are:
-Airofi: A smart device for patients with chronic respiratory disease that collects real-time data on air pollution (Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation)
-BIOPOD: Ecosystem modules designed to remediate water quality and reintroduce vital fringe marshes into urban environments. (Rhode Island School of Design)
-BlueNose: Solutions to improve the aerodynamics of vessels, particularly container ships, in order to reduce their fuel consumption by up to 5%. (Royal College of Art)
-FUZE: A power-harnessing system that efficiently transforms energy generated while cycling into usable electricity (Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation)
-Pyri: An innovative, low-cost, wildfire detection system designed with remote, unprepared, and vulnerable communities in mind. (Royal College of Art)
-Shellf Life: A biomaterial made from discarded mollusk shells, offering a sustainable and visually striking alternative for use in construction and design. (Rhode Island School of Design)
-Statement Denim: A sustainable denim brand that turns post-production denim waste into stylish, affordable clothing while reducing industry waste. (National Institute of Design Ahmedabad)
-WildWatch: A speed control and wildlife detection system for animal crossing corridors on forest roads. (National Institute of Design Ahmedabad)
The winners of the Terra Carta Design Lab competition will each receive £100,000 in funding to further develop their innovations, enabling the designs to be scaled and taken to market to tackle the issues they identify.
Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, said: “At the Sustainable Markets Initiative, we always want to drive ambitious and practical action to help the private sector accelerate its progress towards a sustainable future. The Terra Carta Design Lab competition truly exemplifies the possibilities of tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis when connecting design, engineering, innovation, technology and art, to develop impactful and commercially viable solutions.
“I want to congratulate the winners of the competition for their innovative and commercially-minded designs. Their optimistic, multi-disciplinary and multi-generational approaches to a variety of climate- and biodiversity-focused issues are truly inspiring and demonstrate the power of collective ideas and co-creation in transitioning to a sustainable future.”
Sir Jony Ive, Chancellor of the Royal College of Art and Terra Carta Design Lab Global Judge, said: “We are delighted with the momentum and impact of the Terra Carta Design Lab. The teams created innovative and practical solutions, describing their thinking and design proposals with a compelling clarity. This collective body of work is made more powerful and relevant with the perspectives of students from India, Dubai and the US, as well as the UK, developing locally relevant ideas and approaches.”
Mohammad Abdullah, President of Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation said: “At DIDI, designing for the community and contributing through design is not just an aspiration, it is woven into the very fabric of our curriculum and is embedded into our DNA. Over the years, we have cultivated a culture where innovation and sustainability go hand in hand, empowering students to create meaningful solutions for the world’s most pressing challenges. Being recognised in the Terra Carta Design Lab affirms our commitment to fostering design excellence that drives transformative change. I congratulate all the students who participated in the 2024 Terra Carta Competition from all the four schools across the globe. The winners from DIDI are a testament to what DIDI stands for: Designing for Change. We are incredibly proud of our students and their ability to lead with purpose and creativity.”
Dr. Sana Mohamed, Founder and CEO of Bionik Tech, creator of Airofi, commented, “Winning this competition is a validation of the vision that drove Airofi’s creation: to harness the power of technology, design, and medicine to safeguard both individual health and the environment. It is an affirmation that small, purposeful innovations can make a monumental difference in the lives of those affected by chronic respiratory issues and air pollution.”
Dalilah Mansour, Founder of FUZE, said, “Winning the Terra Carta competition makes me feel even more grateful to everyone who has ever believed in my vision and supported me throughout my journey. I thank you all! Such an accomplishment brings both the joy and the responsibility of fulfilling the promise of the FUZE system and making its users the true winners."