NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Now in its sixth year, the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge Grand Final marks the culmination of months of dedication and innovation from students participating in this year’s competition. This inspiring event will highlight some of the most outstanding submissions, showcasing groundbreaking ideas that push the boundaries of clean energy access.

With the full guest speaker and panel line-up for the event set, we are happy to announce our theme for this year’s event: Enduring Impact. As we celebrate the designs of this year’s participants we also look back at the last 6 years of the Challenge, the impact that it has had on previous participants, and how the competition helped developed them in their careers in the clean energy sector.

Taking place on World Refrigeration Day, the Grand Final will reflect on both the legacy of the Challenge for its participants and the off-grid appliance sector, as well as highlighting the importance of innovation in cooling.

Our keynote speech will come from Leo Blyth, Senior Energy Consultant at The World Bank. Leo will be reflecting on the value of opportunity, drawing on his own path as a student innovator. He’ll share lessons from bringing appliances to market in East Africa and insights from cooling-based grantees of the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund, as well as highlighting how failure fuels innovation.

The event will also feature a panel discussion with several Challenge alumni students discussing the impact the competition had on their careers, as well as our annual prizegiving, where we will be crowning our Bronze, Silver, Gold and People’s Prize winners!

Agenda:

10.00 – 10.10: Welcome and theme introduction

10.10 – 10.20: Keynote talk: Leo Blyth, Senior Energy Consultant, The World Bank

10.20 – 10.45: First half of award ceremony and showcase of students’ designs

10.45 – 11.05: Panel discussion on the Challenge’s impact (Panellists: Amviko Proscovia Adrabo, William Steve Mwai, Maryam Naqvi)

11.05 – 11.25: Second half of award ceremony and showcase of students’ designs

11.25 – 11.30: Closing remarks

After this year’s Grand Final, the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge will be pausing. This pause will allow time for strategic reflection on the competition and its future direction.

Sign up for tickets today, and we look forward to you joining us for the Grand Final on Thursday 26th June!