Categories

The following categories for innovations have been defined: Water & Waste Water, Energy, Food & Agriculture, Waste Management & Recycling, Housing & Construction, Healthcare, and Information & Communication Technology.

Water & Waste Water
The entries should enable individuals or communities to create, maintain and manage their water supply and/or their waste water treatment. Entries can range from less complex solutions such as a clay water filter to solutions such as UV Waterworks which uses ultraviolet light to quickly, safely, and cheaply disinfect water of the viruses and bacteria that cause severe diseases.

Energy
Energy is crucial for the use of most technologies. Entries could vary from simple energy supply for a single machine or a few households up to regenerative solutions for an entire community. Sustainable energy (provided by solar, water, wind, or other sources) could be used for mobility, electricity, cooking, heating, manufacturing etc.

Food & Agriculture
Technology can considerably improve the harvest, even in regions with poor soil or difficult climate. Submitted products should help people get the most out of the soil and, at the same time, save on resources. Products and solution for the processing and distribution of food is also an important factor in this category.

Waste Management & Recycling
The Siemens Stiftung is looking for solutions with lasting impact on the improvement of solid waste management. The scope ranges from solutions for composting and anaerobic digestion to different recycling approaches. The solutions submitted can make new value chains a reality.

Healthcare
The scope of entries may reach from sanitation infrastructure to simple instruments for medical use. Also required are e-health solutions or technologies to educate individuals or communities on the subjects of health and nutrition.

Housing & Construction
This category encompasses materials and methods for the construction and the heating or cooling of houses in urban and rural zones. Products for cooking or other devices for everyday family life may also be submitted.

Information & Communication Technology
Information and communication technology, even on a relatively low level, can dramatically improve living conditions. We are looking for entries that help to build up communities, implement alerts, improve the market overview, and support communication in rural regions.