Events

Blue Innovation Award

Euronext is supporting the Blue Innovation Award as part of its mission to enhance blue education and improve the environmental sustainability of the communities in which it operates that are closely related to the ocean.  This is the third year of the implementation of the programme and it has been expanded to 9 countries adding Denmark and Italy to Belgium, France, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Just as in the previous years, this European final competition is a chance for secondary school students to join an international competition, and to develop and present innovative business ideas related to the Blue Economy during the 2022/23 academic year.

In order not to limit students’ creativity, the companies’ business ideas can be related and not limited to:

• Reduction of the use of water (e.g.: tap water rather than water in plastic bottles, etc.)
• Reduction of water consumption in the garment manufacturing process (e.g., hemp rather than cotton)
• Decrease in the use of plastic in general: water bottles, packaging, straws, recycling, etc.
• Decrease in pollution (marine, but it starts with sewers, land, air)
• Reduced use of fertilizers
• Elimination of waste generation through a change in production methods
• Decrease in consumption (in general)
• Protection of biodiversity
• Circular economy
• Renewable energies vs fossil fuels
• Sustainable seafood (fishing, aquaculture) and farming/agriculture
• More sustainable (decarbonized) shipping and transport
• Avoid micro-plastics (which scientists have proven have now entered the food chain)
• More sustainable personal protective equipment (masks, gloves…)
• More ocean and land friendly products (Laundry, cleaning, garden, etc.)
• Sustainable construction
• On 3 May 2023, six teams will be invited to present their work remotely in front of a jury composed by Euronext executives, public figures and authorities. The winning team will be announced at the end of the online event and receive a trophy as well as a chance to visit the Euronext HQ in their respective country.

To win the competition, the winning team will have to demonstrate their skills in 6 different aspects:

1. Problem solving: Teams must properly present the issue their product or service is aiming to solve and explain their solution in detail
2. Innovation: Teams must show that their product or service is an innovative idea in the fields of Climate Change and the Blue Economy
3. Business Model: Teams must develop and share their companies’ business model to represent core aspects such as mission, processes, cost and pricing, target market/customers, marketing strategy, organizational structure, etc.
4. Demo solution or prototype: Teams must present a good quality demo solution or, if possible, a working prototype of their business idea
5. Financial Literacy: Teams will have to demonstrate their understanding of the basic concepts of financial literacy
6. Climate Change: A positive impact the idea will make on the climate.

The official language of the competition is English.