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DDW’s Solar Design Challenge is aimed at designers with good ideas about the functional integration of solar cells in all kind of final products. These products can for example be components for the buildings and infrastructure of the future, for transport means and other wireless devices that consume energy.

This challenge is organized by Solliance, the research and development organization focusing on novel types of solar cells, in cooperation with HighTechXL, providing business support to startups, Holland Innovative, offering project management and product development support and HighTechPlaza, facilitating startups with space on the High Tech Campus Eindhoven.

Each year these organizations select one winner from the contestants, based on uniqueness, smartness, beauty, value to the user, expected market impact and earning potential for the company bringing the product to the market. Next to free publicity, the award contains in-kind support from the organizing teams in transforming the design into a product and bringing the product to the market.

The jury consist of Elphi Nelissen, dean at the TU/e and chair of the SER Brabant, Bert-Jan Woertman, Marketing & Communications Director of the High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Hans Meeske, General Director of Holland Innovative and Huib van den Heuvel, director Solliance.

Interested parties can send their design to [email protected]; the deadline is Sunday October 23rd.

This year the winner of the challenge will be presented by Elphi Nelissen on Tuesday October 25th between from 13 h onwards in the ‘Mind the Step’ theater in het Klokgebouw in Eindhoven.

The program:
13:00 h Introduction of the Solar Design Challenge by Huib van den Heuvel
13:15 h Short pitches of the top 3 designs
13:45 h Jury observations and presentation of the winner
14:00 h Discussion & networking
15:00 h Closure