EPIC
Energy Powered Innovation Challenge
EPIC 2023 / Realising the opportunities for powering New England - April 27 and 28, 2023
Our future will require new ideas and a diversity of people to crack open new perspectives. This innovation challenge was a building block for leveraging our ideas and collective capacity to seek new opportunities.
EPIC invited people from a diversity of backgrounds to come together with industry, technologists, students, community, researchers and investors to help solve key energy challenges across a broad range of areas, including:
Building benefits for the community
Managing waste and growing a circular economy
Preparing for emergencies
Creating sustainable employment
CHALLENGE STATEMENTS 2023 / THEME: REALISING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR POWERING NEW ENGLAND
Our energy future requires lots of different ideas and people to crack open new perspectives and opportunities to bring shared value to the region. EPIC is a building block for leveraging our ideas and collective capacity to seek new opportunities. The following challenge statements will set the groundwork for 2023 EPIC!
EPIC 2023 brings us together to build solutions to:
CHALLENGE STATEMENT 1
How might we generate stories to engage and inspire the whole community in our renewable energy future?
CHALLENGE STATEMENT 2
How might we use renewable energy to create the rubbish revolution, turning waste into opportunity?
CHALLENGE STATEMENT 3
In the face of a changing climate, how might we make sure the lights stay on at home and at work?
CHALLENGE STATEMENT 4
How might we lead the way in re-imagining the regional jobs and services of the future?
EPIC 2023 summary
Prize money of $5000 cash for a winning idea to go to the next level!
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EPIC Launch and Team Preparation
Briefing on the challenge statements, expert briefings and rules of EPIC explained.
Where: NOVA, UNE SRI, 122 Faulkner Street, Armidale
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7.00am Breakfast on site at Armidale Town Hall
7.30am Morning teams gather and kick off
12 noon Lunch
1pm Teams buckle down and prep
3pm Pitch for judging
4.30pm Celebration refreshments
5.00pm Close of day
Where: NOVA, UNE SRI, 122 Faulkner Street, Armidale
About EPIC
EPIC 2023 was UNE SMART Region Incubator’s inaugural energy focussed Innovation Challenge, providing space and tools for the New England community to grow ideas into action.
Efforts to reduce carbon emissions and achieve a net-zero world by 2050 are speeding up a new energy future around the world. For the New England region, which has been proposed as the largest renewable energy zone in NSW, this will create opportunities in new markets and sectors as we grow and secure NSW’s energy supply. As big as these opportunities might be, it is important to grow these ideas so there will be a shared prosperity locally in the region.
The purpose of EPIC was to engage diverse talents in a problem solving challenge to develop solutions that can grow into opportunities for more innovative practices in organisations or as startups. The startup methodology of human centred design thinking is used to bring forward rapid prototyping of ideas!
Why Innovation Challenges work
EPIC was supported by regional collaborators including Armidale Regional Council, NSW Government, University of New England, their mentors and amazing networks of community supporters.
The UNE SMART Region Incubator puts community first. By focusing on the best possible experience for participants, year on year, we deliver creative and innovative hackathon-style events.
EPIC, at its core was about enabling organisations to partner with the broader community to showcase and celebrate participatory innovation and co-creation. When you join us you will have the opportunity to engage with teams to further the development of ideas and projects!
The proposed New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) will create opportunities in new markets and sectors as we grow NSW energy supply. As big as the opportunities are, it is important to grow these ideas so there is a shared prosperity in the region.
