Call for Ideas #6: Circular Business Models for Interior Built-In Solutions
Challenge Metadata
- Challenge Name: Call for Ideas #6: Circular Business Models for Interior Built-In Solutions
- Date: 5/17/2024 8:44:18 AM
- Administrators:
Challenge Description
Please read the entire text before submitting your idea and answer all provided questions in a consecutive order.
The Circular Building Industry Innovation Booster (CBI Booster) aims to enable the transition towards a circular building industry through systemic, radical, and joint innovation.
The Circular Building Industry Booster will collaborate with Humanitas Living LAB powered by Blanco AD (www.blanco-ad.ch) and Institute of Management, FHNW for its’ 6th call for ideas. In addition, the collaboration is supported by the ACS Innovation Booster, Program Sustainable Living of Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE, and SUPSI with the Institute of Sustainability Applied to the Built Environment (ISAAC) of the Department for Environment Construction and Design (DACD) in Mendrisio.
Call Focus
The call will focus on circular business models for interior built-in solutions (e.g. staircase, floorboards, kitchen, sanitary, lighting, doors, elevators, etc.) to be potentially implemented in the Humanitas Living LAB building. The call invites radical ideas for circular business models for product, service, or systemic innovations. Additionally, the call wants to encourage collaboration with partners based in Ticino, and asks applying teams to have at least one Ticino-based partner in their team.
The collaboration with Humanitas Living LAB presents a unique opportunity for project teams to develop their idea in the CBI Booster program, with the potential to implement and test them in the Humanitas Living LAB building afterwards.
About Huminatas Living LAB: Humanitas Living LAB is a groundbreaking residential project blending sustainability with adaptability, revolutionizing the future of living. Utilizing blockchain incentives and holistic design, it champions a circular economy, paving the way for resilient communities.
Who do we address?
Are you a Swiss company (start-up, SME, or corporate), non-profit (public institution, NGO, etc.), or a research group interested in implementing an idea on reuse in the construction industry, or testing its viability, desirability, and/or feasibility? A team needs to have at least one implementation partner and one research partner. For this call, we ask teams to have at least one Ticino-based partner in their team.
What are we looking for?
Do you want to develop, test, and refine your idea for a product, service, process, or business model relating to the circular building industry? For this call, we invite innovation teams to submit ideas tailored to the specific challenges around interior built-in solutions (outlined below).
In collaboration with Humanitas Living LAB powered by Blanco AD and Institute of Management, FHNW, we have outlined the following challenges:
➤ Products (e.g. staircase, floorboards, kitchen, sanitary, lighting, doors, elevators, etc. ..): how can interior built-in products have a truly circular lifecycle?
➤ Services: which services or servitisation strategies can facilitate the circularity of interior built-in elements of buildings?
➤ Systemic Innovations: Which processes and systems are missing to shift the building industry towards implementing circular business models for interior built-in solutions.
Who can apply?
If your idea fulfills the following criteria, then you are in the right place:
- You have an idea that responds to at least one of the listed challenges of this call.
- Through circularity, your idea has a positive impact on the 3Ps:
- Planet (e.g., reducing GHG, raw material extraction and toxicity, etc.)
- Prosperity (e.g., creating employment, generating innovation, etc.)
- People (e.g., improving health, well-being, and living conditions of employees, communities, customers etc.)
- You are familiar with the value chain and account for its particularities. Your idea involves stakeholders across the value chain.
- You are a Swiss start-up, SME, large company, a not-for-profit, or a research team looking with partners to test the feasibility, viability and/or desirability of your idea.
- You have the intention of implementing the project in Switzerland beyond or after the booster.
- You can attract 10% of the total funding amount in third-party funding (= 2'000 CHF).
- You have at least one partner in your team who is based in Ticino.
- You will have attended at least one of the open innovation workshops (round tables or design thinking workshop) by the call deadline.
What's in it for you?
- Six teams will be awarded with a direct cash contribution of 20,000 CHF to develop ideas, concepts, and prototypes (the project team shall add an additional 3rd party contribution equivalent to 10% of the funding requested from the booster to confirm commitment). The funds can be used flexibly (e.g., pay salaries, buy equipment and material, etc.). The cash contribution is split in 2 payments of 15’000 CHF at the project start and 5’000 CHF when 3rd party funding has been received.
- Methodological and technical support from topic experts
- A Swiss-wide network of companies, researchers, and public institutions
- The potential of implementing your idea in the Humanitas Living LAB after the CBI Booster program
How to be eligible for selection and funding?
What to submit?
When submitting your project idea, start with a brief overview of your idea. Subsequently, address all the following questions in consecutive order. Please copy/paste these questions into the application form. Your application will not be considered if it does not answer these questions.
- What problem would you like to solve?
- Who will benefit from your solution and how?
- Who are the existing persons/companies in your team and what is their role?
- How does your challenge have a positive impact on the planet (e.g., material reduction, CO2 emission reduction)?
- Has your idea been tested before?
- What are you planning on working on throughout the booster (e.g., developing the business model, building an initial prototype, material for prototyping, etc.)? What will you deliver at the end of the booster?
- What are you expecting from the booster (e.g., looking for specific partners, expert support, etc.)?
- How will you attract the 3rd party funding (10% of the total funding amount)?
Please note, that the project application is done through the open innovation platform JointCreate and will be visible to the CBI Core Team, the jury, as well as Humanitas Living LAB for this specific challenge.
What to attend?
To be eligible for funding, teams must have at least attended one of two open innovation workshops listed below. The Roundtables and Design Thinking Workshop serve as complementary components in the innovation journey, and teams have the freedom to attend the event that best suits their innovation journey ideation stage. All events are free of charge.
- Roundtable, 12.06.2024, ETH Zurich (morning only)
The Roundtable primarily focuses on the early stages of idea generation, partner identification, and fostering connections within the industry. The presentation of the Humanitas Living LAB case will provide attendees with an inspiring case and relevant input. It is a platform for collaborative brainstorming and networking. Coffee, tea and snacks are offered.
- Roundtable + Service Design Workshop, 30.06.2024, Bellinzona (morning + afternoon)
In addition to the Roundtable (same format as above) in the morning, there will be the opportunity to join a Service Design Workshop, organized by the call partner FHNW and led by reverse.studio. Lunch and snacks are offered.
When applying, we ask the teams to already block the following dates in their calendar, in case they are selected for pitching and/or the program:
- 10 October: Pitch and Fund, online (afternoon)
- 5 December: Pitch and Enrich | Design Thinking Workshop, Bellinzona (full day)
Further details on participation can be found on the website www.cbi-booster.ch.
If you have any questions, contact info@cbi-booster.ch.
You can submit your application in English, German or Italian. If you wish to submit to your project in Italian, you can do so through the platform, or you can request an Italian application form by writing to info@cbi-booster.ch.