Green Innovation Challenge

Developing real-world applications for research in the natural environment

Dr King Kuok (MiMi) Hii shown working in a lab at Imperial's Department of Chemistry

Join us to help people and the planet by creating new climate solutions

Research at Silwood Park Campus - Roseline OKelly ( O'Kelly ) Graduate teaching assistant - Postgraduate

During this five week programme, you will apply your creativity to real-world sustainability challenges from environmental science research, and pitch your idea to climate experts and entrepreneurs

From novel sensing technologies to carbon capture and sinks, the next generation of climate solutions will come from cutting-edge research.

The goal of this programme is to develop ideas that bring together the expertise and innovative spirit at Imperial College London and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Challenge themes

Teams will develop solutions within six key themes:

Biochar: How can biochar be most effectively deployed as a carbon sink, soil improver, nutrient management tool and crop yield booster in agriculture?

Nitrogen circularity: How can we move towards nitrogen circularity to protect waterways and support sustainable agriculture?

Rock weathering: How can rock weathering products be used for enhanced carbon capture in soils and water, balancing co-benefits and tradeoffs?

Ammonia: What sensing technologies will be needed in the ‘ammonia as an energy carrier’ market?

Urban flooding: What innovative solutions could be deployed for urban flood impact forecasting?

Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV): How can high-resolution earth observation data be used to develop new, practical and affordable solutions to environmental challenges?

Why apply?

The programme provides practical innovation and entrepreneurial experience. It’s an opportunity to develop ideas from existing research, with access to a entrepreneurial programme, supported by expert guidance.

Develop an idea from first concept.
Learn about customer discovery and identifying a value proposition.
Understand what the next steps are in your development journey.
Demonstrate teamwork, in partnership with team members across Imperial and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Paida Mataranyika, Postdoctoral Associate researching wheat-soil microbiomes to find solutions in addressing fungal diseases affecting wheat in the UK.

Conditions of Entry

All members of your team must be students or staff of Imperial College London (external applications will not be accepted). Your team will then be joined by members of Imperial and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology on a chosen theme.

Not all innovations will be ventures. However, any ventures created through the Green Innovation Catalyst may, in some circumstances, identify a need to licence existing UKCEH IP such as an information product or a decision support tool. UKCEH will apply its normal data licensing policy by seeking to provide commercial IP licences to enable these ventures to progress with the commercialisation of these ideas.

All ideas, prototypes, and intellectual property developed during the Green Innovation Challenge will be subject to and align with Imperial’s IP policy.

Any venture that is subsequently created with active and on-going participation of UKCEH research staff (a co-founder), would be considered a UKCEH spinout business. Under these circumstances UKCEH will align with Imperial’s approach on equity sharing policy at the time.

Where a project incorporates existing College IP, participants must confirm that permission has been sought and granted by the IP owner. Use of existing College IP in a GIC project may require assignment of the resulting IP to the College, subject to College IP policy and obligations to third parties.