The planet's climate is changing at a more rapid pace than expected, and with such turmoil comes instability in the cost and supply of energy. This is why the energy sector depends so deeply on innovation and the companies that provide the platforms to find disruptive solutions. Innovators with big ideas need the time, space, and resources to build new technologies, with an eye not only on product and strategy, but how they impact generations to come.
This is where Enel has been a global leader. In 2017, the Italian energy giant launched the Open Innovability® crowdsourcing platform to bolster our collective future by asking the brightest minds from around the world to submit their projects and solutions to the energy sector's biggest questions. Enel selects the strongest ones, and provides the authors—academics, entrepreneurs, individual innovators, startups, and anyone in between—with access to cash rewards, collaboration, and testing agreements for the development of their ideas.
"To effectively fight climate change, we must keep innovating the way we produce, manage, and provide clean energy to families and businesses," said Angelo Rigillo, Head of Innovation Governance, Intelligence and Partnerships at Enel. "Leaders have a responsibility to foster new technologies. That's always been Enel's view. As such, we've merged the previous site dedicated to the Enel Startup Ecosystem with the crowdsourcing platform to create Open Innovability®"
The key is harnessing the power of competition. When great minds must out-think and out-maneuver one another in a business or technological setting, it is the consumer who ends up benefitting. This is why Enel publishes Open Innovability® challenges and calls for anyone to submit an answer: the next paradigm-shifting idea can originate from anywhere. Enel has worked with numerous nonprofits, academic organizations, and companies large and small to build solutions for the future—such as Alesea, to build Internet of Things technologies to optimize energy supply chains; Aerones, to automate wind turbine maintenance; and Optibus, to create a zero-emission fleet.
"It is partnerships like these that will give the next generation energy at lower costs and with less impact on the environment," says Fabio Tentori, Head of Innovation Hubs and Startups at Enel.
All these collaborations are possible thanks to the global network of Enel's Innovation Hubs.
Enel Hubs and Labs work hand in hand with startups and SMEs to develop pilot projects by giving access to its global industrial assets, laboratories, experts, and relevant data, as well as a network of over 70 million customers.
As of April 2022, Open Innovability® has four challenges open for submissions. Each covers a different facet of the vast and ever-changing energy sector.
- New design for a sustainable Enel Smart meter
If consumers understand how and when they are using energy, they can make changes that save them money and reduce their impact on the environment. Enel is asking innovators to reimagine the smart meter on homes and businesses. With the advances in touchscreen technology, sensors, and artificial intelligence systems for crunching huge amounts of data, we have the tools to put answers in customer's hands. But what other resources can we add? This challenge expires May 8, 2022 and offers a reward of up to 10,000 euros. - Reimagine the logistics of concerts and events
One of the biggest impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic was the shutdown of public events. Not only did cities and towns experience a loss of revenue and tourist activity, but citizens themselves went through a dearth of culture, music, theater, talks, and all the little gatherings in between. But this pause has one bright spot: it allows organizers the chance to retool how they operate. Enel is challenging entrants to devise sustainable solutions that reduce the carbon footprint of visitors, staff, and vendors, and improve accessibility for people with disabilities. Additionally, because many events today rely on diesel generators for power, Enel wants participants to submit creative solutions to reduce that dependency. - Optimize costs, profitability, and sustainability for energy storage
Power generation and power consumption do not always match one another. Energy companies often need facilities to store the excess production. Yet the technologies behind these centers continually require optimization. Enel is asking entrants to reimagine each and every aspect of the energy storage facility, from the chemistry in batteries to the high-powered computing that runs the resource management systems. This challenge will remain open for the foreseeable future, and winners will be rewarded with collaboration and testing agreements. - Improvement of renewable power
If we want humanity to flourish indefinitely, we cannot rely on finite sources of power. That is simply a fact. Enel is seeking new partners in the development or improvement of renewable power sources. Wind, solar, hydro, wave—the planet creates so many gifts to keep the lights on. How can we use them more strategically? This is a challenge Enel will keep open indefinitely. It can result in myriad forms of partnerships, depending on the idea.
Enel is also hosting a new third-party challenge on water inflows and filtrations. The solutions will change how public utilities and municipalities manage water and waste.
Each day a new headline reminds us of the urgent problems facing our planet. The climate is changing fast. If you are a big thinker with big ideas, reach out to Enel today with your proposals at Open Innovability®.
This story was produced by WIRED Brand Lab for Enel.
