The certificate belonging to the Beijing Institute of Technology team

A team from Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) has won a gold award at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 2024 Future Designer International Innovation Design Awards (IIDA) & Science for SDGs Innovation Contest.

"EcoWeave Ball", a collaborative project designed by four students from the Open Design Laboratory of the School of Design and Arts at BIT, stood out from 2,100 competing teams from more than 60 countries and regions worldwide to win the Gold Award.

This project is also featured as one of the top three outstanding cases globally on UNESCO's official website.

The IIDA competition is one of the activities under the UNESCO's Youth Competence Development Talented Professional Project, targeting global university students and young innovators aged 16 to 35. It sought diverse forms of design works aimed at promoting the achievement of the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

This competition received submissions from 2,100 teams from over 60 countries and regions. After rigorous evaluation, five gold awards, eight silver awards, twelve bronze awards, and twenty-five honorable mentions were selected. The winning rate was only 2.38 percent.

Design description diagram

The "EcoWeave Ball" is designed with the concept of diversity, inclusivity, and eco-friendliness, aiming to promote the coordinated advancement of material civilization and spiritual civilization, and to support global green and low-carbon transformation.

In response to the reality of a large number of discarded tires in Africa and a lack of sports equipment resources for children, the design team has developed a set of tools that are both fun and educational.

Children can use discarded tires as raw materials and utilize the traditional Chinese weaving technique of cuju (ancient soccer) to handcraft their own soccer balls. This innovative design can inspire children's creativity, enhance their practical skills, and, through the combination of education and entertainment, help the concept of sustainable development take root and grow through practical experience.

Currently, the design team is actively engaging in close communication and collaboration with the African region to accelerate product development and strive to bring the product to market as soon as possible. This effort aims to help improve the educational level in the African region and pave the way for local sustainable development.