15 challenge prize moments of 2021 building a better future

News – Blog

15 challenge prize moments of 2021 building a better future

31 January 2022

  • Kenneth Pratt

Blog post written by Kenneth Pratt

We look back on the some of the key moments in innovation achievements of 2021 that continued, in spite of the evolving pandemic.

After 2020 proved that everyday life can become oddly surreal, 2021 upped its game, showing there are no limits to unexpected challenges. On one hand, there were optimistic periods when COVID-19 hospitalisations and restrictions shrank for those who were lucky enough to live where vaccines were rolled out rapidly. For periods, we resumed those everyday activities that had started to feel like mere memories: travelling, returning to bricks-and-mortar shops or joining friends for a meal.

On the other hand, waves of new viral variants, each potentially more infectious than the last or throwing doubt on the efficacy of vaccines, brought further waves of uncertainty, disruption and a retreat into sensible behaviours. In many places, we returned to the physical workplace and then left it once again. Add to this other problems—a lack of vaccines in some parts of the world and non-compliance in others—and it soon became clear that this pandemic did not have an easily predictable arc.

Despite all that, innovation thrived, evidenced by the fantastic achievements of semi-finalists, finalists and winners across the spectrum of prizes we delivered. 2021 was another year that showed that not even an unwieldy pandemic could halt the passion for and real-time delivery of innovations.

Share a moment of reflection with us as we enjoy basking in the key moments of our shared achievements in 2021.

15 key challenge moments of 2021

Lightbulb containing an image of the globe

15. Challenge prizes can kickstart the economy

We examined how prizes invest in relevant innovators to achieve the ambitions of the UK government’s innovations policy by focussing on the goals of Net Zero and post-COVID economic revival as part of our Great Innovation Challenge paper.

READ THE GREAT INNOVATION PAPER HERE

Two women sit on a couch looking at a laptop

14. Rapid Recovery Challenge winners were announced

Launched to address the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two winners offered new tools and solutions providing rapid and personalised support with finances and jobs to people across the UK.

MEET THE RAPID RECOVERY CHALLENGE WINNERS

Andrew in his smart wheelchair looks down at the camera

13. A smart wheelchair won the Mobility Unlimited Challenge

A fine example of how innovation is often sparked by personal experience, discover the story of the smart wheelchair that pushed forward one innovator’s dream of success.

READ ANDREW’S STORY

Screenshot of British Sign Language (BSL) translator app

12. The Amazon Longitude Explorer Prize was a challenge to young minds to design and develop solutions to the big issues of our time

Delivering social benefit was also obligatory. From a two-way AI-enabled British Sign Language (BSL) translator to a self-contained mealworm larvae digester box…

MEET THE LONGITUDE EXPLORER WINNERS

An aerial shot of cool roofs

11. One of our prizes named a ‘climate policy breakthrough’

The Million Cool Roofs Challenge is a $2million partnership that aims to increase access to solar-reflective “cool” roofs in developing countries suffering heat stress.

THE MILLION COOL ROOFS CHALLENGE

Surgery staff in an operating theatre

10. Global Surgical Training Challenge Discovery Award winners announced

Ten teams from a field of 41 applicants were each awarded grants of up to $200,000 for their innovation in surgical training across a broad range of surgical specialisms.

GLOBAL SURGICAL TRAINING WINNERS

Ventilator mask with round cartridges

9. Chile used challenge prizes to respond to COVID-19

Now challenge prizes have evolved to become part of Chile’s larger innovation strategy to grow the country’s knowledge-based economy and improve its citizens’ quality of life.

CHILE PANDEMIC CHALLENGE PRIZES

Screenshot of BOB AI work coach GUI

8. The winner of the CareerTech Challenge secured £120,000 for their job coaching tech

Those involved in producing it explained what it is and its innovation in helping job seekers identify their skills and potentials, especially benefiting those marginalised groups in employment markets such as refugees.

MEET BOB

A young woman sits at her laptop, with her headphones in, a start-up co-working office

7. The Government’s new Innovation Strategy intends to make the UK the most exciting place in the world for innovators

We explained how challenge prizes are the ideal vehicle for making that happen and how they are a valuable contributor to the strategy.

INNOVATION STRATEGY

An underwater shot of bubbling water

6. Winners of the first Water Breakthrough Challenge were revealed

The nine winning initiatives spanned everything from cleaning up the UK’s rivers to reducing customer bills through using AI to prevent leaks and reduce wastage.

WATER BREAKTHROUGH CHALLENGE

A close-up shot of marine plastic detritus including a pacifier

5. Scaling marine plastic solutions through human-centred design innovation

We explored how human-centred design helps empower women in relation to reducing marine plastic pollution solutions.

MARINE PLASTIC SOLUTIONS

City of London skyline viewed from the river at dusk

4. Ten London-based initiatives were named as winners in the Mayor’s Resilience Fund

Each of these organisations contributing to the UK capital reinvigorating itself post-pandemic received £40,000 to implement their solutions.

MAYOR’S RESILIENCE FUND WINNERS

A person sitting outdoors alone at night

3. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of loneliness

We caught up with two of the Tech to Connect Challenge finalists, to find out how the coronavirus has changed their approaches to tackling social isolation and loneliness.

LONELIENESS AWARENESS 

A wind energy turbine stands tall in a field

2. Winners of the European Social Innovation Competition were announced

Three social innovation projects were awarded 50,000€ each for their ideas to help people and organisations adapt and thrive in a changing world.

EUSIC WINNERS

Water cascades over Craig Loch Dam

1. Winners of the first Water Breakthrough Challenge were revealed

Eleven collaborative initiatives led by water companies received up to £250,000 each to tackle the biggest issues facing the water sector in England and Wales.

WATER BREAKTHROUGH CHALLENGE WINNERS

Learn more about what we do for UK and global innovation.

A toy TARDIS made out of Lego

Stay in the loop with news and views all year round!