OUTPUT
Social impact
Fusing together “Nature Smart” and “Logic Smart” & a pinch of creativity
Keywords: prototyping, multisensory communication, sustainability
Who?
Nova Innova Netherlands.
What?
Nova Innova’s aim is to inspire others through their collaboration with nature.
Nova Innova is a creative start-up based in Rotterdam that combines nature, science, and design to generate crucial, sustainable breakthroughs. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) technology enables us to generate energy from organic waste: from compost to mud, from urine to plants. All organic waste streams are turned into sustainable energy sources with this innovative technology.
Why?
There are many interesting things happening in laboratories all over the world, which remain invisible to the general public. The team of Nova Innova aims to bridge the gap between science and everyday life, by developing sustainable applications in the form of a powerful design.
This case teaches individuals to be more sustainable from influencing the way one observes and become aware of how technology can help to generate energy and contribute to sustainability.
Results
The main result of the case is to make visible what happens in laboratories by developing sustainable applications which can be used in everyday life. This is an innovative approach where science and art can work together and contribute in a sustainable way.
Microbial Fuel Cell technology was included in the European Commission’s ‘100 radical innovation breakthroughs for the future’ report in 2019, acknowledging the importance of the development of this sustainable technology. Up until now MFC technology has been investigated in laboratories all over the world but attempts to implement this promising technology in the real world have been limited.
The Living Light indoor design lamp and the outdoor park modules are the first light applications making use of this technology to provide you with energy. Microbial Fuel Cells for the Living Light collaborate with the naturally occurring microbes in the soil to generate energy. MFC technology is comparable with the solar cell of twenty years ago, standing on the brink of becoming a welcome contribution to the renewable energy mix.
The Living Light is there to inspire others to develop this technology to the fullest and to tell the story of MFC technology in a magical way. Before the Living Light project, people were skeptical about the use of this sustainable energy source for practical applications. Now the ‘Park of Tomorrow’, the Living Light Park, and our indoor Living Light lamps are the first global example that we can use this promising technology to light up houses and parks.
Sources
STARTS PRIZE. 2021. The Living Light. [online] Available at: https://starts-prize.aec.at/de/the-living-light/ [Accessed 18 March 2022].
Livinglight.info. 2022. Living Light. Nova Innova. [online] Available at: https://livinglight.info/ [Accessed 18 March 2022].