Scipopulis, an innovation arm of InterSCity that works with data analysis, processing, integration, and visualization, focusing on turning cities into smart cities, won the Katowice Energy Innovation Challenge, whose results happened in June 2022.
The Challenge UN-Habitat organized was looking for digital information management and communication solutions to help and empower the city of Katowice, including the local government, residents, and businesses, to embrace a transition to clean and renewable energy systems.
It was called start-ups, cooperatives, social cooperatives, companies, and joint-stock companies with experience in implementing urban energy innovation projects.
The jury was impressed by the quality of pitches and the potential that these solutions have to help support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and SDG 7, which calls for ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN-Habitat Executive Director, said: “Cities are the incubators of innovation and new technologies. Therefore, we must support the development of solutions that provide resource-efficient energy locally to replace fossil fuels. The Katowice Energy Innovation Challenge winners are examples of how we should approach the transition to green and sustainable cities that care for the benefit of all.“
To see more details about the Katowice Energy Innovation Challenge, click here.
The three winners, including Scipopulis, were selected to participate in an accelerator program and present their work at the 11th Session of the World Urban Forum in Katowice, Poland, which occurs in the final of June 2022.
Furthermore, Scipopulis is a finalist in the Climate Smart Cities Challenge of Bogotá organized by UN-Habitat and Viable Cities. The Climate Smart Cities Challenge is an open innovation competition to identify innovative solutions to reduce the climate impact of Bogotá, Colombia; Bristol, United Kingdom; Curitiba, Brazil; and Makindye Ssabagabo, Uganda.
The challenge of Bogotá aims to innovative business models, services, and technologies that improve freight mobility and reduce congestion-based greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants emissions from logistics operations in Bogotá, Colombia (by 100,000 tonnes of CO2 and 100 tonnes of PM2.5 by 2024, approximately).
After receiving nearly 200 applications from across 29 countries, 100 applications were shortlisted by expert assessors, and from this shortlist, 45 were selected by the city panels to be finalists. These 45 finalists will move to the next stage of the challenge and start their journey toward system demonstrations.
The finalists will now participate in the co-creation phase, where they will work closely with the cities, challenge partners, and each other. They will benefit from support and exciting opportunities to further their proposals and develop teams. Up to four teams will then be selected to move into the penultimate stage of the challenge and plan the system demonstrations, which occur until November 2022.
Click here to see more details of the Climate Smart Cities Challenge of Bogotá.
