The Youth Climate Innovation Lab, a collaboration between the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), SAFEEM, and Seedstars, is a fast-paced three-day event during which youth innovators from across the MENA region, with the support of climate technology, entrepreneurship, and business experts, will explore design thinking tools to ideate and validate innovative solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation within selected sectors and technology fields.

The program will help participants flex their entrepreneurial muscles, and by the end create business solutions for enhanced climate action in response to climate change threats to the MENA region.

“With governments across the MENA region leapfrogging their nations towards oil-independent economies, it is time to equip our youth with the knowledge and tools to drive climate action initiatives,” shared Mohamad Fanous, Program Manager MENA of Seedstars.

Supported by private sector experts, entrepreneurs, and innovation facilitators, the participants will be challenged to think outside of the box and co-create timely solutions and business ideas to address pressing challenges in climate change.

This program will provide a hands-on learning space in which participants explore and implement frameworks for ideation and validation to solve common and critical problems in innovative, viable, and sustainable ways.

The launchpad comes as the third edition of its global series, bringing together climate tech innovators from Africa and Asia-Pacific as well as Latin America.

The program accepts individuals (to be grouped into teams later on) or groups with a minimum of two members. Participants must fit the following criteria to be eligible for the program:

• Participants must be between the ages of 20 and 30 years old;
• Attended or completed higher education;
• Must be an aspiring/early-stage entrepreneur or a student interested in launching an idea on climate change and building entrepreneurial muscle; and,
• Must be passionate about solving climate technology needs and challenges in the MENA, especially the following focus challenges: Renewable Energy and Hybrid Energy Systems; Circularity and Waste Management; AgriTech and FoodTech; Ecology and Reforestation; Transportation; and Urban Planning, Smart Cities, and Construction.

At the end of the Climate Innovation Lab, the MENA region winners will participate in the 6-8 week Climate Innovation Academy Program delivered by Seedstars and receive follow-on support to implement and scale their solutions.

The top 3 teams will receive a cash prize of $1.8K and the chance to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) happening in Egypt this November 2022.

For more information about the Youth Climate Innovation Lab and to submit your application, visit the page before the deadline on September 4, 2022 here: https://seedsta.rs/3AdepAf

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ABOUT CLIMATE TECHNOLOGY CENTRE AND NETWORK (CTCN)

The CTCN is the implementation arm of the Technology Mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and is hosted by the UN Environment Programme. The Centre promotes the accelerated transfer of environmentally sound technologies for low carbon and climate resilient development at the request of developing countries. The CTCN provides technology solutions, capacity building and advice on policy, legal and regulatory frameworks tailored to the needs of individual countries by harnessing the expertise of a global network of technology experts and is committed to supporting the clean tech engagement of men and women, youth, and indigenous peoples and communities.

ABOUT SAFEEM

SAFEEM is a non-profit organization that supports and empowers entrepreneurs in emerging markets through grants, coaching, events, and workshops. For more info visit https://safeem.org/.

ABOUT SEEDSTARS

Seedstars is a Swiss-based private company with a mission to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship. The group’s activities cover over 90 emerging ecosystems through a variety of initiatives such as the FTxSDG Challenge, previously known as the Seedstars World Competition, which is the largest entrepreneurship competition in emerging markets; Seedstars Programs that are designed to support entrepreneurs in varying stages of growth via training, education, mentoring, and access to resources; Seedstars Academy, a talent incubator providing digital skills and startup-based immersive education; and Seedstars International Ventures, a global venture capital fund for seed-stage startups. For more information, visit www.seedstars.com.

CONTACTS

Program

Mohamad Fanous

Program Manager

[email protected]

Media

Michaela Villaroman
Media Relations

[email protected].

The Youth Climate Innovation Lab, a collaboration between the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), SAFEEM, and Seedstars, is a fast-paced three-day event during which youth innovators from across the MENA region, with the support of climate technology, entrepreneurship, and business experts, will explore design thinking tools to ideate and validate innovative solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation within selected sectors and technology fields.

The program will help participants flex their entrepreneurial muscles, and by the end create business solutions for enhanced climate action in response to climate change threats to the MENA region.

“With governments across the MENA region leapfrogging their nations towards oil-independent economies, it is time to equip our youth with the knowledge and tools to drive climate action initiatives,” shared Mohamad Fanous, Program Manager MENA of Seedstars.

Supported by private sector experts, entrepreneurs, and innovation facilitators, the participants will be challenged to think outside of the box and co-create timely solutions and business ideas to address pressing challenges in climate change.

This program will provide a hands-on learning space in which participants explore and implement frameworks for ideation and validation to solve common and critical problems in innovative, viable, and sustainable ways.

The launchpad comes as the third edition of its global series, bringing together climate tech innovators from Africa and Asia-Pacific as well as Latin America.

The program accepts individuals (to be grouped into teams later on) or groups with a minimum of two members. Participants must fit the following criteria to be eligible for the program:

• Participants must be between the ages of 20 and 30 years old;
• Attended or completed higher education;
• Must be an aspiring/early-stage entrepreneur or a student interested in launching an idea on climate change and building entrepreneurial muscle; and,
• Must be passionate about solving climate technology needs and challenges in the MENA, especially the following focus challenges: Renewable Energy and Hybrid Energy Systems; Circularity and Waste Management; AgriTech and FoodTech; Ecology and Reforestation; Transportation; and Urban Planning, Smart Cities, and Construction.

At the end of the Climate Innovation Lab, the MENA region winners will participate in the 6-8 week Climate Innovation Academy Program delivered by Seedstars and receive follow-on support to implement and scale their solutions.

The top 3 teams will receive a cash prize of $1.8K and the chance to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) happening in Egypt this November 2022.

For more information about the Youth Climate Innovation Lab and to submit your application, visit the page before the deadline on September 4, 2022 here: https://seedsta.rs/3AdepAf

***

ABOUT CLIMATE TECHNOLOGY CENTRE AND NETWORK (CTCN)

The CTCN is the implementation arm of the Technology Mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and is hosted by the UN Environment Programme. The Centre promotes the accelerated transfer of environmentally sound technologies for low carbon and climate resilient development at the request of developing countries. The CTCN provides technology solutions, capacity building and advice on policy, legal and regulatory frameworks tailored to the needs of individual countries by harnessing the expertise of a global network of technology experts and is committed to supporting the clean tech engagement of men and women, youth, and indigenous peoples and communities.

ABOUT SAFEEM

SAFEEM is a non-profit organization that supports and empowers entrepreneurs in emerging markets through grants, coaching, events, and workshops. For more info visit https://safeem.org/.

ABOUT SEEDSTARS

Seedstars is a Swiss-based private company with a mission to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship. The group’s activities cover over 90 emerging ecosystems through a variety of initiatives such as the FTxSDG Challenge, previously known as the Seedstars World Competition, which is the largest entrepreneurship competition in emerging markets; Seedstars Programs that are designed to support entrepreneurs in varying stages of growth via training, education, mentoring, and access to resources; Seedstars Academy, a talent incubator providing digital skills and startup-based immersive education; and Seedstars International Ventures, a global venture capital fund for seed-stage startups. For more information, visit www.seedstars.com.

CONTACTS

Program

Mohamad Fanous

Program Manager

[email protected]

Media

Michaela Villaroman
Media Relations

[email protected].