Heathrow Airport offers prize for green aviation ideas
UK businesses and organisations are being invited to apply for Heathrow’s first Sustainable Innovation Prize submitting ideas on how to address the environmental challenges of airports and the aviation industry.
The winning entry of the Sustainable Innovation Prize will be awarded £20,000 and the green light to develop their idea, earning the opportunity to use Heathrow as a ‘live laboratory.’ Here they will be able to trial and develop their winning concept and gain exposure to Heathrow’s operation and partners in the process.
This launch of the Sustainable Innovation Prize coincides with activity marking the anniversary of the Heathrow 2.0 – the airport’s plan for sustainable growth.
The prize will further Heathrow’s ambitions to make its business a centre of excellence for aviation sustainability, reducing the airport’s social and environmental impacts, while maximising the economic opportunities in the UK.
Applicants are invited to submit ideas and solutions which fall into one of the following three categories:
1. Waste as a resource
Concepts that create value from waste water and waste materials at and around airports and in their supply chains.
2. Sustainable and low carbon materials
Solutions which transform the environmental impact of the large quantities of construction materials used for Heathrow’s buildings and supporting infrastructure.
3. Measuring and enhancing quality of life locally
Concepts that could help measure and improve quality of life for local communities, those living and working around the airport, taking into consideration wide ranging issues such as aircraft noise or employment opportunities.
Heathrow Sustainability Director Matt Gorman said: “We’re delighted to launch our sustainable Innovation Prize which will help us to uncover a host of creative ideas to solve business challenges and provide benefit to our passengers and local communities.
“This prize is an opportunity for us to attract talented organisations that are passionate about improving our environmental footprint and who can push us to think ‘outside the box’.
“The winning idea will become an integral part of our sustainability strategy – Heathrow 2.0 – and our plans to help us meet growing demand for our airport in a way that creates a positive impact on our community, environment and the UK economy.”
Entries from UK applicants will be accepted via yourheathrow.com/sustainability. The deadline for submissions is March 31. Online submissions will be reviewed and six finalists will be selected to give a 10-minute pitch to a panel of judges made up of Heathrow’s senior executives from across the airport, including Matt Gorman, Heathrow’s Sustainability Director. The entries will be reviewed for maximum sustainability benefit, as well as likelihood of trial success and later implementation.
