Detroit-based NextEnergy announced the second annual Smart Cities Competition is open to proposals until August 18th. The competition awards up to $100,000 for a solution dedicated to combating growing populations and their impact on urban infrastructure, with partners Wells Fargo & Co., DTE Energy Co., and Denso Corp.
NextEnergy was founded as a nonprofit innovation center dedicated to building sustainable and smarter cities through environment, mobility, and energy technologies. Since their founding in 2002, NextEnergy worked with over 400 companies, federal agencies, philanthropic organizations, and universities achieving over $1.5 billion in mobility and energy technology investments.
Jean Redfield, the CEO and president of NextEnergy, talked about the rationale behind the competition in a newsletter, saying that, ““The goal is to identify new technology to address urban challenges related to safety, mobility, emissions, accessibility, and congestion while also driving economic development in the region. The inaugural challenge brought talented individuals and creative solutions from around the world and we’re looking forward to another great year of innovative ideas and advancement in Smart City technology.”
This year’s challenge has four focus areas in smart parking, smart mobility, smart buildings, and smart infrastructure. Entries are judged on scalability, competitive advantage, the qualifications of the applicants, and the validity of the innovation. A successful proposal is expected to improve user experience and access and create improvements to safety and security or a reduced impact on public health or the environment.
