SeaAhead BlueGreen Innovation Challenge

11th Hour Racing is proud to sponsor SeaAhead’s BlueGreen Innovation Challenge in Rhode Island. Students are the changemakers of the future. Encouraging them to think about clean energy and sustainability now, will lead to a future generation that is thinking critically about how we can all better care for our environment, locally and globally.

Taking into account Rhode Island’s 400-miles of coastline and reliance on ocean systems now is an opportune time for university students to think big and conceive and develop new ideas at the energy-food-urban community-coastal nexus. Teams are encouraged to consider the interconnectedness of land, marine, and freshwater supply chains and ecosystems in their designs.

“To address global problems like climate change or ocean plastic we need a creative and integrated approach, and while we must think big, we also need to act at a local level,” explains Todd McGuire, managing director at 11th Hour Racing. “Rhode Island, with its small footprint but ambitious climate and clean energy goals, is an ideal territory to pilot new solutions to problems that really matter in our community and improve resiliency. By tapping into the talent, creativity, and competitive spirit of the students of Rhode Island’s universities, SeaAhead is paving the way to develop big ideas to help our state meets its goals — and we are proud and excited to be part of this process.”  

Eight finalists will be announced in January, and after receiving mentorship the teams will contend for a cash prize while they pitch their final project proposals.

What it means for Rhode Island

The Challenge will build on the state’s track record of impactful student-driven open innovation. Its goal is to enhance the sustainability of our state’s seafood system, improve community resilience, increase the availability of clean energy, and inspire the next generation to focus on solving problems that matter to all of us.

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Who is eligible?

The Challenge is open to young adults who attend an institution of higher education in Rhode Island or are from Rhode Island and studying at an out-of-state institution. Recent graduates (two-years or less) are also welcome to apply.

Competitors are encouraged to form inter-school teams of up to four members. Team members from outside of Rhode Island are allowed to register, as long as at least half the team meets the above Rhode Island criteria.

Click here to learn more about the BlueGreen Innovation Challenge.

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Header image credit: SeaAhead