WWF Finland’s Secretary General, Liisa Rohweder, was on the jury of the first Helsinki Challenge. Rohweder, who has been influential in the fields of academic research and business, has specialized in sustainable development in her career. Now, she provides researchers with three reasons to participate in the competition.
1. Challenge dominant paradigms
The world’s greatest problems are solved with science. Helsinki Challenge brings researchers and experts together to develop boundary-breaking ideas. ”Good solutions challenge the current societal structure and paradigm,” says Rohweder.
Rohweder is an active advocate for environmental protection, corporate social responsibility and global sustainable development. She thinks that the best solutions in the Challenge competition arise from unprejudiced thinking and true ingenuity.
2. Make use of multidisciplinary expertise
Helsinki Challenge is about creating the most impactful solutions possible. Ideas and applications with the highest impact arise from collaboration between several actors and parties. ”In addition to the researcher’s own ambition, success in the competition requires building a wide and international collaboration network.”
The teams accepted into the competition will participate in the accelerator stage, where the teams’ ideas are developed further. At the same time, the teams will get to know decision makers, media representatives and a large audience, all of whom are interested in science’s solutions. The competition offers researchers the opportunity to efficiently create new networks.
3. Develop world-changing solutions
The competition teams will dig into three themes with their solutions, which are linked to the UN’s sustainable development goals. Humans in change, sustainable planet and urban future are topics in which several problems concerning our living conditions and environment are combined.
”The competition themes approach the UN’s sustainable development goals cross-sectionally. We don’t have just one, but many simultaneous aims.” According to Rohweder, tangible, world-changing efforts are needed especially for preserving nature’s diversity. The global challenges of sustainable development require bold solutions from all of us.
Helsinki Challenge call for applications is now open and it is the time to put your team together, since registration for the competition closes on 31 October. The finalcompetition proposal must be submitted by 15 November.