The Techstyle for Social Good International Online Competition 2020 which was organized by The Mills Fabrica and co-organized by ITC announced the winners on 3rd September 2020.
Supporting Techstyle Innovations for Social Good
Now in its second year, the Techstyle for Social Good Competition supports and celebrates techstyle (technology and lifestyle) innovations from students and graduates from around the world with a focus on apparel/textiles and agri/food tech (a newly added category for 2020). Designed to encourage young innovators to submit their ideas and solutions that are making a positive impact on society for the greater good, the competition saw over 100 submitted projects worldwide from Hong Kong, the US, UK and more.
The first of the two categories, apparel/textiles, includes: 1) new materials and supply chain innovations, 2) wearables and products merging technology and design and 3) new retail experiences and platforms. The second category, agri/food tech, is a new addition to the competition this year and includes: 1) agritech – farming management, supply chain and distribution, logistics, transparency and traceability, 2) food tech - novel ingredients and new food brands/products and 3) food retail – platforms, marketplaces, kitchen and retail tech, food waste management and circular solutions. The projects of the entrants were assessed based on 4 key criteria: creativity, sustainability, innovation and impact to society, by a judging panel of renowned industry experts in the apparel/textiles and food tech fields including the Adidas Group, Asia Value Advisors, Bolt Threads, Food-X, H&M Foundation, The Good Food Institute, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel.
All of the winners receive essential support to develop their projects including residency at The Mills Fabrica in Hong Kong with mentorship support, access to flexible coworking space, and use of the Fabrica Lab for prototyping and experimentation. They will attend and participate in industry events that involve the partners of The Mills Fabrica and community, and have the opportunity to showcase their work and win cash prizes.
