Green design contest offers $100,000

If you’d love to design something that could help the environment and you can use $100,000, the Live Edge (Electronic Design for the Global Environment) Design Contest may be for you. Electronics distributor Premier Farnell plc (London, England)—parent of Chicago, IL-based Newark Electronics—is making a worldwide call to EEs, academics, students, and anyone over 18 who is not a Premier Farnell employee to submit designs that have a positive impact on the environment.

The grand prize is $50,000 in cash, as well as a support package—valued at more than $50,000—that includes consulting to bring the design to prototype, legal assistance, IP registration, marketing and publicity, and assistance in securing investment funding. Moreover, the designer/design team will retain ownership of the design.

“Our planet is facing environmental threats on an unprecedented scale,” said Harriet Green, Premier Farnell’s CEO. “By unleashing the creativity that exists within the electronics industry, we can make a difference to these global challenges.”

Currently, Premier Farnell is putting together a panel of judges, which will feature a variety of innovators, engineers, entrepreneurs, academics, industry leaders, and environmental campaigners. The panel will be chaired by Sir Peter Gershon CBE FREng, Premier Farnell’s non-executive chairman.

Closing date for registration is Oct. 31, 2007, and all entries must be submitted by Nov. 30, 2007. Additionally, up to five entrants will eligible for honorable-mention prizes of $5,000 each.

Find more information at http://www.live-edge.com.