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Heathrow Launches Innovation Prize to Support Plans for Sustainable Growth

A year after the launch of its Heathrow 2.0 sustainability leadership strategy, Heathrow Airport is encouraging UK businesses and organizations to apply for the first Sustainable Innovation Prize.

By Sustainable Brands | Published 7 years ago | About a 2 minute read

A year after the launch of its Heathrow 2.0 sustainability leadership strategy, Heathrow Airport is encouraging UK businesses and organizations to apply for the first Sustainable Innovation Prize.

The Prize aims to scale solutions that address the environmental challenges facing airports and the aviation industry as a whole, and ultimately support the airport’s plan for sustainable growth.

Heathrow will award £20,000 to the winning business to develop their idea and the opportunity to use Heathrow as a living laboratory. There they will be able to trial and develop their concept and gain exposure to Heathrow’s operations and partners in the process.

“We're delighted to launch our Sustainable Innovation Prize which will help us to uncover a host of creative ideas to solve business challenges and provide benefits to our passengers and local communities,” said Matt Gorman, Sustainability Director at Heathrow.

“This prize is an opportunity for us to attract talented organizations that are passionate about improving our environmental footprint and who can push us to think ‘outside the box.’ The winning idea will become an integral part of our sustainability strategy — Heathrow 2.0 — and our plans to help us meet growing demand for our airport in a way that creates a positive impact on our community, environment and the UK economy.”

The launch of the Sustainable Innovation Prize coincides with the one-year anniversary of the Heathrow 2.0 plan. The strategy outlines 200 goals covering a range of environmental, economic and social issues, which include the use of 100 percent renewable energy, establishing an airside ultra-low emission zone and achieving carbon neutrality.

The airport is looking for solutions that treat waste as a resource; reduce the emissions and environmental impact of construction; and measure and enhance the quality of life for local communities.

UK businesses are invited to apply online via yourheathrow.com/sustainability until the March 31 deadline. Six finalists will be selected to give a 10-minute pitch to a panel of judges made up of Heathrow’s senior executives from across the airport, including Matt Forman, the airport’s Sustainability Director. The entries will be reviewed for maximum sustainability benefit, as well as the likelihood of trial success and later implementation.