The EDF Pulse innovation awards programme

EDF group has launched a global innovation awards programme called EDF Pulse and I am the UK “sensor” – which is the person who identifies suitable entrants and encourages them to enter – a sort of “hunter gatherer”. The purpose is to highlight the importance of innovation and help move EDF towards a more open innovation model.

The awards are for early stage businesses in the three areas of: home, mobility and health – each with a €35,000 prize.

Home – This category is for projects that contribute to making homes more intelligent, more communicative, more energy efficient, and more eco-friendly, whilst increasing everyday comfort and wellbeing.

Mobility – This category is for the most innovative solutions and services that meet our growing transportation needs: chiefly, projects based on sustainable development, communications, sharing, and multimodal transport, with the aim of easing travel, and better including people who are isolated and/or who have reduced mobility.
Health – This category is aimed at the most promising innovations to improve our health and quality of life. Issues include new “intelligent medicine” technology to discover more about the body and its environment, and connected health services.

The criteria are:

• companies with less than 50 employees
• innovations that are close to launch or have recently launched
• use some aspect of electricity – this is widely interpreted, particularly in the health category.

There are two additional awards:

• research on electricity storage from a University or research team (€150,000 prize)
• Access to electricity projects in developing countries (€50,000 prize for NGOs)

As well as prizes the programme offers the potential of global publicity, access to EDF’s R&D team and access to EDF’s venture funds (both only if the entrant wants it).

Entry is relatively pain free and part of my job is to help companies enter.

Entries have to be in by 31st December. Then there will be a period of selection leading to a short-listing by an international panel chaired by Henri Proglio, Chairman and CEO of EDF, followed by a public vote. The winners will be announced in Paris on 25 March 2014.

So, if you are a company, research group or project that might fit the criteria, or know of suitable companies, please put them in touch with me or let me know who they are ASAP. Although I am the UK sensor I can enter companies from any country.

The Pulse programme also has a website that features innovations of all kinds. I can also pass on suggestions for content for the web site.

steve@onlyelevenpercent.com
+44 (0) 7702 231995

http://pulse.edf.com/en/invent/
http://pulse.edf.com/en/edf-pulse-award/
#EDFPulse