H&M Foundation has awarded €1 million to 5 innovations of 2020 Global Change Award!
Considered the Nobel Prize of sustainable fashion, the award is H&M foundation’s 5th annual innovation challenge.
The winners were recognised for their sustainability innovations and were chosen out of 5,893 entries from 175 countries including India, Nigeria, Pakistan, US, UK, China, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya and Bangladesh, during the period August-October 2019.
So who are the winners!
There’s Incredible Cotton by Galy (US/Brazil) that won a prize money of €300,000 for the creation of lab-grown cotton using biotechnology; Feature Fibres by Werewool (US) that won €250,000 for creating fabrics using protein DNA with natural colours, stretch and other features and Tracing Threads by TextileGenesis (India) that won €150,000 for their innovation to track sustainable fibres through transparent and reliable blockchain technology.
Others include Zero Sludge by SeaChange Technologies (US) winning €150,000 for innovation to separate and clean wastewater to eliminate toxic sludge in landfills and Airwear by Fairbrics (France) that won €150,000 for converting greenhouse gas into sustainable polyester.
“H&M Foundation supports the fight against the Coronavirus, and at the same time we continue to support entrepreneurs and innovators for long-term sustainability. Each year I am amazed by the ideas that are submitted to the Global Change Award. The winning innovations will help our industry reinvent itself and hopefully inspire others to also find new solutions,” said Karl-Johan Persson, board member of H&M Foundation.
Moreover, in addition to the €1 million grant, the winners will be enrolled in a one-year Innovation Accelerator Program, which is a joint collaboration with Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
