Cranfield-Colworth Innovation Challenge: A Triumph Of Innovation & Sustainability

The Cranfield-Colworth Innovation Challenge, now in its sixth year, concluded with resounding success. This intensive and rewarding programme brought together bright minds, industry leaders, and academia to tackle real-world challenges posed by innovation-focused multinationals: Unilever, dsm-Firmenich, Symrise, and Pioneer Group, owners of Colworth Science Park.

Theme: Innovation for a Sustainable Future

This year’s theme centred around climate change mitigation, waste reduction, and the critical transition to net-zero emissions. Participants were invited to form multi-disciplinary teams, combining technical expertise with entrepreneurial acumen, to develop innovative solutions.

The Journey: From Proposals to Pitches

1. Proposal Stage: Entrants formed teams and submitted brief proposals addressing one of the three challenges. Each team included students from at least two different schools, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration.
2. Training and Mentorship: Successful teams received feedback on their proposals, training from the Bettany Centre and the Centre for Design, and mentorship from industry experts. They honed their ideas, shaping them into robust solutions.

Competition Finale: All teams converged at Colworth Science Park for the grand finale. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as challenge owners, senior executives, and academics gathered.

And the Winners Are…

The final pitches were nothing short of inspiring. After rigorous evaluation, the winning teams emerged:

1. Goshen: Their innovative idea focused on reducing the CO2 emissions of traditional farm machinery by using a high-capacity, multi-function drone to scan soil conditions, spray fertiliser and for targeted pesticide use.
2. Team Greenwave: Greenwave impressed the judges by focussing their efforts on ‘frugal innovation’ within the site’s effluent treatment facility by proposing process changes that could enable the site to extract high-value content such as hydrogen and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from the waste water treatment facility.
3. Irradiance: This entry looked at energy reduction and the associated cost savings from two sides. Firstly, they have devised a platform for the gamification of energy saving initiatives that could be used either building by building or site by site. They also presented a credible and costed roadmap for the adoption of solar energy from an on-site solar farm.
4. Additional Prizes: Each challenge winner received £2,000, and Cranfield awarded an extra £1,500 to the team that demonstrated outstanding performance. This year, that award went to the Conscious Farmers for their work on reducing the environmental impact of winter wheat production on the Colworth farm by under-sowing with clover and intercropping with legumes; these practices naturally control weed growth, and improves the soil condition, without any chemical intervention

A Lasting Impact

Beyond the prizes, this challenge provided a unique opportunity for students to work closely with multinational companies. It fostered lasting relationships, sparked creativity, and contributed to a more sustainable future.

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Keith Purdie, Commercial Director, Colworth Science Park: “This is the first time the park has been involved in this competition and it has had a really positive impact in terms of fostering better working relationships between the key stakeholders that have taken part in it.”

“It has been brilliant to host these students here, they have been a real credit to the university in terms of their engagement, energy, and the ideas they have brought in this evening.”

Juliet Kauffmann, Partnership Development Manager, Cranfield University: “Just to say one more huge thank you for your contribution to the CCIC 2024, from involvement in the co-design workshop last year, to all the training and mentoring, the site visits, and then the marvellous FINALE yesterday.” 

“Special thanks to the Colworth Park team for seamlessly hosting the event, and providing such delicious refreshments and expert media tech!” 

“I could tell from the buzz that was still going on as the students boarded the coach back, that this will have been a most memorable day for them! I look forward to seeing how we might progress some of these great ideas with you over the next few weeks..”