The Buckminster Fuller Challenge 2013

Result

The Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI) is pleased to announce that Ecovative has been selected as the winner of the 2013 Buckminster Fuller Challenge! The materials science company has developed a new class of home-compostable bio-plastics based on living organisms, mushroom mycelia. The ‘mushroom material’ inventors, Eben Bayer, Gavin McIntyre, and the Ecovative Team, will be awarded the $100,000 cash prize at a ceremony at Cooper Union in New York City on November 18, 2013 at 7:00 pm. RSVP for the event at http://bfi.org/2013-ceremony.

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Overview

Each year a distinguished jury will award a $100,000 prize to support the development and implementation of a strategy that has significant potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems.

Description
Winning the Buckminster Fuller Challenge will require more than a great stand-alone innovation. If for example, your solution emphasizes a new design, material, process, service, tool, technology, or any combination, it is essential that it be part of an integrated strategy dealing with key social, economic, environmental, policy and cultural issues.
The winning solution should exemplify the trimtab principle. Trimtabs are small steering devices used on ships and airplanes which demonstrate how relatively small amounts of leverage, energy, and resources strategically applied at the right time and place can produce maximum advantageous change.
Entrants must put forward a bold, visionary, tangible initiative that is focused on a well-defined need of critical importance. Proposed solutions must represent a preferred state model – one that aims to optimize conditions from inception in order to create the most desirable, sustainable, future outcome. Entries should be regionally specific yet globally applicable, and backed up by a solid plan and the capability to move the solution forward.
Entries must be:
Comprehensive – applies a whole systems approach to all facets of the design and development process; aims to simultaneously address multiple goals, requirements, conditions and issues
Anticipatory – factoring in critical future trends and needs as well as projected impacts of implementation in the short and long term
Ecologically Responsible - reflecting nature's underlying principles while enhancing the Earth’s life-support systems
Feasible – relying on current know-how, technology and existing resources
Verifiable – able to withstand rigorous empirical testing
Replicable – able to scale and adapt to a broad range of conditions

Jury
Not yet announced

Prize
The winner (individual or team) will receive a $100,000 cash prize to support the on-going development and implementation of their winning solution.

Entry Fee
US $100
A discounted entry fee of $50 is available for students, academics (employees at a university or research institution), people entering on behalf of a registered non-profit, and financially contributing members of the Buckminster Fuller Institute.

Entries
Descriptions(total 1,600 words) and up to 6 images

Links
Past winners

Organizer
The Buckminster Fuller Institute

Official Website
http://challenge.bfi.org/