Cecilia Tham
Future Synthesist and Principle at Futurity Studio
Cecilia is currently a Future Synthesist, at Futurity Studio, where she helps companies to ideate and prototype futures. She is a former Senior Social Technologist at Alpha Telefonica Innovation. As a serial entrepreneur, she is the founder of multiple companies, MOB, the largest co-working community in Barcelona, and FabCafe Barcelona, digital fabrication lab meets coffee shop, and allwomen.tech, an AI training school for women by women to build the next generation of women and tech. She has mentored for UNDP + 4YFN Women Innovator Programme, WFP-X, Google Launchpad, and has served on the board of advisor for the City Government of Barcelona.
Judge’s selections
NEUMATERIALS Prize
Impossible Materials - Producing cellulose white pigments as a sustainable alternative to titanium dioxide
Impossible Materials
I really like the premise of this project, to use plant-based materials over highly processed and toxic chemical ingredients that are hard to breakdown. As we are understanding more and more about what nature offers, and as we have more and more data on how to best match our needs to biomaterials, will can start creating far more sustainable consumption models. Furthermore, material innovation can impact a great deal because they are the building blocks of our production and consumption. I am hopeful that this project can carry beyond TiO2 replacement and expand to other chemicals as well.
EQUALOGY Prize
Looop Can
Waveee Design Studio
This project is wonderfully designed and unexpectedly addressing many level of societal bias and complexity. Period poverty especially in developing countries can definitely impact a great deal those that are affected. And being able to design with sustainability and contextural limitation on top makes this project even more amazing.
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION Prize
tex.tracer: Tracing garments through supply chains
Fujitsu
Consumers are limited in their ability to make responible choices because of the opacity of the supply chain. The problem is exacerbated with the increasing complexity of sources, suppliers, and global distributors as well as other middle man and logistics. The ability to make the traceable and transparent will help consumers make better choices.
BIOCHARITY Prize
Romoting the charcoal recycling of branches and vines in Taiwan
個人
Biochar has so much potential and we are just beginning to understand and apply this technology. This project applies oxygen braising and carbonisation to create wood vinegar as a by-product of vine pruning is brilliant in that it is truly circular, with biochar providing benefits to the soil, the plant, the planet as well as the farmers.
NANOBIOFABRICATOR Prize
CyanoFabbrica
Central Saint Martins UAL