Open Innovation Competition 2021

Open Innovation Competition 2021

Open Innovation Competition is the City of Melbourne's annual challenge to solve a city issue. In 2021, it calls for innovators, entrepreneurs, students and community members to submit their bright ideas to solve the challenge’s cities face as a result of COVID-19 impacts.

Open Innovation Competition is the City of Melbourne's annual challenge to solve a city issue. In 2021, it calls for innovators, entrepreneurs, students and community members to submit their bright ideas to solve the challenge’s cities face as a result of COVID-19 impacts.

Open Innovation Competition is the City of Melbourne's annual challenge to solve a city issue. In 2021, it calls for innovators, entrepreneurs, students and community members to submit their bright ideas to solve the challenge’s cities face as a result of COVID-19 impacts.

RMIT Activator Vietnam has partnered with City of Melbourne to deliver a localised competition and calls on the creativity and expertise of our community to stimulate innovative ideas and effective solutions which can help Ho Chi Minh City’s revival.

By entering this competition you’ll get the opportunity to gain international exposure and network with fellow like-minded innovators, with prize pathways into accelerator program, industry mentoring and many more. 

So, if you’re an innovator, entrepreneur, student or community member, submit your bright ideas to solve the challenge for Ho Chi Minh City. From tourism to smart city technologies, manufacturing opportunities and so much more in between, we’re excited to hear about your innovative solutions.

Problem statement:

How might we bring vibrancy back into the city in a post-pandemic world by reimagining the way we live, connect, work and play in our city whilst enhancing the social, cultural, environmental and economic vitality of Ho Chi Minh City? Here are some pointers to help you get started:

Public and/or private spaces and places

How might we rethink how we use and activate spaces and places through creative, innovative and technology-enabled solutions?

Future ways of working and connecting

How might we reimagine the way we work, connect, network and collaborate through creative, innovative and technology-enabled solutions?

Specific sector support e.g. retail, hospitality, arts, music, culture and tourism

How might we support hard-hit industry sectors to recover and adapt into the future in an innovative, creative and sustainable way?

New economy and future industries

How might we support the diversification of our city through new economies and future industries that encourage sustainable and equitable economic growth?

Who is this for?

This competition is open for everyone who is passionate about contributing to the city’s recovery process. You don’t have to be affiliated with RMIT University to be eligible to apply!

The preliminary round will be sectioned into 2 streams:

  • Idea phase – For students across all disciplines with an idea or the ambition to make your city more vibrant.
  • Early product phase – For seasoned entrepreneurs with a prototype or presence in the market which contributes to the city’s recovery.
oic-launch-event.jpg

Watch the Open Innovation 2021 Launch Event

Hear from our very own Director of Strategy and External Relations, as well as key stakeholders giving us insights on the competition and why it is an important initiative for all of us to get involved.

Watch now

What will I gain from entering the competition?

Exposure to innovation experts

Your idea or early-stage product or service will be evaluated by our judging panel of innovation experts from RMIT Melbourne, Vietnam and BSSC. 

Global opportunities

By entering this competition, you place yourself and your idea on a global stage amongst fellow innovators from Melbourne and Bandung. 

The chance to shape the future of your city

With cities around the world experiencing significant change and identifying new opportunities, this is a chance to help shape the future of your city at a unique and exciting time.

Prizes

Expand all sections

1st Prize USD 450

2nd Prize USD 200

3rd Prize USD 100

Prizes will be awarded in Fahasa vouchers.

Prize 1: 8hrs of dedicated virtual mentoring. The mentor will be selected by RMIT Activator in Melbourne and mentoring will take place at mutually agreed times over a period of two months.

Prize 2: A chance to join the virtual RMIT LaunchHUB pre-accelerator program alongside our Melbourne cohort commencing in August 2021, and benefit from all the virtual activity from this program.

Competition timeline

10 March      Applications open

22 March      Virtual launch event

2 May           Applications close

12-13 May    Applicants presentation and Q&A with the panel of judges

25 May         Winners announced

 

Judging criteria

Start, grow and go global – We’re looking for fresh ideas that is scalable. The impacts and challenges created by COVID-19 are not unique to any specific countries across the globe so we encourage you to think about how your proposed solutions can be adapted and applied to different cities.

Here are some key questions to help with your consideration:

  1. Innovation: How is your solution different or unique to something that may already exist?
  2. Impact: What is the potential impact of your solution?
  3. Technically and conceptually sound: To what extent is your solution supported by quantitative or qualitative data?
  4. Feasibility: How can your solution translate into a sustainable and cost-effective operating model?
  5. Scalability: Briefly describe your strategy to implement and scale your solution

Interested? 

Applications for 2021 participants are now closed. 


Partners

FAQs

Expand all sections

RMIT Activator does NOT claim any IP rights in respect of idea or startup. However, RMIT staff applying for the competition will need to consult with RMIT Research and Innovation given that RMIT has ownership of intellectual property created by staff members in the course of their employment.

Not at all! All participants from across Vietnam are welcome to apply. With Ho Chi Minh City as Vietnam’s biggest city, we're looking for a suitable solution that will help the city's recovery, so your solution has to be applicable in Ho Chi Minh, as well as other capital cities like Melbourne. 

Don’t worry, you have plenty of access to resources that will help you shape your idea! For RMIT Students, you can join the Innovation Workshop Series that will be run fully virtual from RMIT Activator Melbourne. For non-RMIT Students, you can join the Rapid Open Innovation Sprint – a 4-day workshop and panel discussion sessions to enrich your knowledge and problem-solving skills. To sign up for either option, simply follow the link to the application form. 

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

More information
aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

More information