O Alcoa Aluminum Innovation Award is in its 13th edition and has just started accepting applications. Open to professionals and students from various fields, the award aims to encourage innovative and sustainable ideas using aluminum. Participation is free and the deadline to apply is October 23.
In the 12 previous editions, 230 educational institutions participated and more than 2,000 projects were submitted. Since 2002, the award has honored more than 30 students and professionals from various fields, such as architecture, urban planning, design and engineering. “For Alcoa, encouraging innovative ideas is essential to developing solutions that bring improvements to the society in which we live. With the Alcoa Award, we seek to encourage university students and professionals to work in research and development, thinking about leaving a legacy of sustainability for future generations,” says José A. Drummond, president of Alcoa in Latin America.
“The 13th edition of the Alcoa Aluminum Innovation Award comes together with the celebrations of Alcoa’s 50th anniversary in Brazil. This is a special moment, as it reaffirms Alcoa’s commitment to the country and to innovation,” says the president.
University students and professionals can compete for the award. To participate in the category Student, interested parties must be enrolled in higher education, undergraduate or postgraduate courses and be 18 years of age or older. The projects presented must be produced in teams with a maximum of four members and have the guidance of a professor from the same institution.
In the category Professional, people who work with project development and who are already working in the job market can apply. The participating team must have between two and four members. At least one of them must have a higher education degree; the others can have higher education or professional experience of at least three years. The application process for both categories must be done by filling out a registration form on the website www.alcoa.com.br.
Project evaluation is carried out in two stages. In the first, the description is analyzed by a Selection Committee made up of at least five and at most 11 Alcoa professionals. In this phase, the following criteria are taken into consideration: consistency of the information provided in the Descriptive Report, degree of innovation of the proposal and potential for applicability and sustainability. Five projects are selected in each category.
In the second stage, the ten selected teams – five from each category – will develop prototypes to be presented to the Awards Committee, made up of five professionals. The evaluators are the ones who decide the winners. Alcoa will provide R$3,000 in assistance with the development of the prototype in this phase.
The announcement of the participants who have passed to the second phase will take place after January 22, 2016. All prototypes will be exhibited to the public and the final judgment will take place on April 13, 2016, when the awards ceremony, open to guests, will also take place.
The 10 finalist teams will receive 45 Moto G smartphones (one for each participant), as well as a diploma. The winning group, in both the Professional comfortable Student, receives a trophy and a diploma for each member, in addition to the value of R$ 20 thousand in a gold certificate.
In the category Student, the teacher supervising the winning project will receive R$7,000, a diploma and a trophy. The educational institution of the winning group will receive R$10,000 in teaching equipment. The full rules can be accessed on the website www.alcoa.com.br.
SUPPORT
A 13th edition of the Alcoa Aluminum Innovation Award It has the institutional support of the main entities in the sector, such as the Institute of Engineering (IE), the Association of Higher Education/Research in Design in Brazil (AEnD-BR), the Association of Product Designers (ADP), the Brazilian Association of Metallurgy, Materials and Mining (ABM), the Brazilian Association of Design Companies (ABEDESIGN), the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), the Ethos Institute, the Green Building Council Brazil (GBC Brazil) and technical support from the Brazilian Aluminum Association (ABAL).
Further information about the competition may be requested by email at premioalcoa@alcoa.com.br.
About Alcoa in Brazil
A world leader in technology, engineering and manufacturing of light metals, Alcoa innovates in multi-material solutions that move our world forward. Alcoa has been operating in Brazil for 50 years and, in addition to operating bauxite mines and alumina refineries, offers a wide range of innovative solutions to the Brazilian markets, including construction and building systems, commercial transportation, consumer goods, packaging, automotive, aerospace and chemical products, oil and gas, and industrial machinery and equipment. In 2014, Alcoa was chosen for the eighth time as a model company by the Exame Sustainability Guide. It was also recognized for the 13th time as one of the Best Companies to Work For, according to the Great Place to Work Institute. For more information, visit www.alcoa.com.br and follow @Alcoa on Twitter at twitter.com/AlcoaBrasil and on Facebook at facebook.com/AlcoaBrasil.
