Argentinians entrepreneurs win open innovation challenge in Bali
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Kura Kura Bali is an island at the southern tip of Bali that inspires innovators, entrepreneurs, and creative talents from around the world. Nicknamed the “Island of Happiness” for its adoption of the ancient Balinese philosophy “Tri Hita Karana” or the three paths to happiness (referring to the communion between men, with nature and spirituality), it aims to be a space to test new inclusive technologies and improve sustainable practices such as reducing energy use, water consumption, waste generation and reducing carbon emissions.
The island is home to the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network of Southeast Asia. An ecological complex inspired by the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which is currently under construction.
The first challenge of the project, which covers 500 hectares and has 3,000 meters of coral reef, was to create the coastal walk and the marine protection of the port. They were looking for a design that respected the ecosystem, the traditions of Bali and that was very attractive. At the beginning of the year, an international open innovation challenge was launched on the HeroX crowdsourcing platform to find the best ideas to create a unique and environmentally sustainable solution.
42 innovative designs were presented, emerging from teams around the world. Argentines Charly Karamanian and Alejandro Bollana were one of the 7 finalists of the first stage with their Kehidupan Laut Seawall proposal. Given the high quality of the projects presented and the difficulty in choosing which was the best, the international panel of judges chose to combine the innovators according to their different abilities and form two finalist teams to work together and further refine the ideas. The result was a story of co-creation, truly global collaboration, and the creation of the world’s first prototype of an environmentally friendly, harmonious and environmentally sustainable marine protection wall.
Team №1
Team №2
The winners were announced on October 9 at a ceremony with more than a thousand attendees at the second Tri Hita Karana Forum in Bali. The winning team is made up of the Argentine duo Charly Karamanian and Alejandro Bollana (BioInspired Argentina), the Israeli Adi Neuman (ECOncrete) and the British Hugo Shelley (Iota technologies).
The winning solution bridges the gap between development and sustainability, by providing a robust coastal defense solution that revives the ecology while inviting and connecting local communities to the coast. The coastal walkway embraces the water, facilitating public engagement with the marine ecosystem and providing better physical and visual access to the bay.
Interview with the Argentine members of the winning team
Alejandro Bollana: “The most interesting thing about the challenge was the opportunity to work together with great innovators from different corners of the world. They were several months of intense and remote work through a collaborative work platform like slack, in three different time zones and a weekly video conference at dawn ”.
Charly Karamanian: “It was no coincidence that in a previous challenge we won, the NASA CubeSat Challenge, we competed side by side against Hugo Shelley, a very unique innovator, who among other things, designs sceneries and devices for magicians like Criss Angel and lives in a houseboat on the river Thames. This time we had the opportunity to work together and finally meet him in person.”
“The trip to Bali was truly every environmentalist’s dream. We toured rice fields, planted corals, and at the start of the award ceremony, each team member released a small turtle into the sea. We hope to see our design implemented in the incredible island of happiness in Bali and why not, also see it replicated throughout Indonesia and the rest of the world.”
Alejandro Bollana: “We are very satisfied with the final result of the proposal presented as a team. We took into account micro and macro design characteristics, incorporating special cavities that promote the proliferation of marine life in the different elements that make up the solution. We based on biomorphic design, imitating the forms of nature. We designed structures that we call “fins” and are fixed along the zone of influence of the tide. The proposed material for the construction of the sea wall is a special mix that uses a low proportion of portland cement and achieves a very specific PH. It is formulated to promote the fixation and development of marine organisms and crustaceans that, over time, will calcify and improve surfaces through their biological interaction ”.
Charly Karamanian: “We combined the expertise of each member to achieve a proposal that we call “Gateway to happiness ”. One of the key design elements were the intertidal pools. We think of them as a mean of connection between the community and the sea; they are small amphitheaters that will allow people to contemplate and access the water. ”
“We were inspired by natural tide pools; patches of water that form between rocks when the tide goes out. The design of the pools emulates the geometry of the lotus flower and they feature a pair of high-rise biomorphic design totems, which will allow people who walk along the seafront to easily identify the “gateway to happiness”. The concept of the gateway is something typical of Balinese architecture and is strongly influenced by Hinduism religion. The gateways are known as Candi Bentar, a very common element at the entrances to the large number of temples present on the island.”
About the Island of Happiness Kura Kura Bali
The island of Bali is just a 15-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport. It is a unique ecological development that covers 500 hectares with 3,000m of coral reefs, 92 species of birds and invites planners, architects and innovators from around the world and from various fields to create a world of happiness in Bali. www.kurakurabali.com
About HeroX
Founded in 2013, HeroX exists at the intersection of crowdsourcing, competition, and collaboration. HeroX was created as a means to democratize the XPRIZE innovation model, founded by Peter Diamandis. The HeroX crowdsourcing platform brings together global problem-solving communities to deliver innovative solutions to social, economic, and strategic challenges. www.herox.com
About the Tri Hita Karana Forum
The Tri Hita Karana Forum 2018 was held from October 9–11, 2018 in conjunction with the World Bank’s annual event. www.thkforum.org
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