C-Prize
We designed challenges for New Zealand's moonshot technology competition, asking innovators to develop technology-based products in response to complex global problems.
Project Information
Client Callaghan Innovation
Industry Consumer Products
Services New Ventures, User Experience Service Design
Key Outcomes
Developed programme design & structure.
Created challenge themes.
Helped launch & activate programme.
Provided innovation services & resources.
Overview
C-Prize is a bi-annual technology challenge initiative from Callaghan Innovation that asks innovators to develop industry-changing solutions to complex global problems.
Incentivized challenges have shown to advance new fields of interest and accelerate new solutions. C-Prize was an idea launched by Callaghan Innovation to help develop, accelerate, and scale innovative solutions to the world's greatest problems. Setting audacious goals with a reward offered upon success can inspire amazing achievements. This initiative set out to do exactly that - motivate individuals, companies, and organizations to develop innovative ideas and technologies with global potential.
Frame
Callaghan Innovation was inspired by competions such as The Orteig Prize (a reward offered to the first aviator(s) to fly non-stop from New York to Paris, won by Charles Lindbergh), the XPRIZE foundation (which hosts public competitions encouraging technological development and radical breakthroughs), and President John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot” challenge (to land a man on the moon within a decade).
These competitions aim to advance public interest in technology and encourage radical breakthroughs. Callaghan Innovation wanted to create a similar-goaled, incentivised, competition to achieve kindred feats in New Zealand. They approached us for help to make it happen.
Sir Paul Callaghan’s vision for New Zealand was to be the place where talent wants to live. In 2011, Sir Paul issued “a challenge to a new generation to lead New Zealand’s transformation through the use of science, technology and an evidence base for decision making”. C-Prize has become a tangible action driven from this vision.
“One hundred inspired New Zealand entrepreneurs can turn this country around.”
— Sir Paul Callaghan
Our Approach
Following a successful first competition centred around UAV drones, Callaghan approached Virtuo to help advance the competition (as a platform) and design the program for two new challenges, in Wearable Technologies, and Environmental Innovation.
In these two programs, C-Prize 2.0 and C-Prize 3.0, we helped Callaghan create the challenge themes, the program design for how they were to run, the entry packs, the final competition selections and the defined the judging criteria. We also offered sponsorship development and ran a coaching programme which included training for finalists. Virtuo provided full-program support throughout both challenges, from planning, design and delivery.
C-Prize 2.0
C-Prize 2.0 set out to improve human performance and wellbeing through next generation wearable technology. It’s aim was to accelerate the development of wearable technologies and spark creative, innovative, and novel technology. Entrants were challenged to create a hardware-software wearable solution that: captured user data from within a user scenario; processed user data, creating new information; and communicate feedback through the wearable device giving the user the opportunity to enhance their experience.
C-Prize 3.0
C-Prize 3.0 focused on accelerating positive environmental change through the power of new technology. Entrants were challenged to create a practical product, service or system that accelerates a movement towards net-zero and net-positive outcomes with a customer in mind. Underpinned by data and objective measures, the programme explored the convergence of technology, advanced materials and manufacturing (Industry 4.0), artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Both challenges received applications from over 140 teams and organisations. Eight finalists were selected in each competition and supported to develop their solutions.
“Virtuo were instrumental in helping support and guide us through C-Prize planning, design and delivery.
Their knowledge and deep innovation experience helped C-Prize develop into a robust technology challenge accelerator that has helped inspire many.”
— Colm Kearney - Callaghan Innovation Programme Manager
