Audi Innovation
Award winner

• Jordanian innovator, Insect Kids wins judges over with their flatpack, sustainable toy concept.
• The winning project has been awarded with the 2020 Audi Innovation Award trophy, a trip to the Audi factory at Ingolstadt and $25,000 worth of consultancy to cover IP registration, legal counselling and business development.
• Second and third places were awarded to Infrastic and Teknova respectively.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates; January 10^th, 2021 – Insect Kids, a biodegradable and recyclable toy concept created by brother and sister duo Ahmad and Rasha Jarrar, has won the 2020 Audi Innovation Award.

This year’s theme for the innovation series was ‘circular’, the thoughtful and restorative process by which the materials and resources that make up a design are in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them whilst in use. Materials are then recovered and regenerated at the end of each product life, closing the circle. Insect Kids fits perfectly into this theme by redefining traditional playtime with their concept to reduce plastic consumption through designing a toy that can be constantly reused and is fully recyclable.

Studies suggest that children get bored of toys in an average of 36 days, ultimately cluttering homes or loading landfills. Insect Kids proposed innovative and sustainable toys which can be easily disassembled ahead of the next use, reducing clutter and ensuring space efficiency. The innovators also provide recycling services for responsible disposal at the end of the product’s lifecycle.

As winners of the Audi Innovation Award, they receive a trophy and an all-expense paid trip to the Audi factory in Ingolstadt, Germany, to experience the automotive design journey at the company’s headquarters. In addition, Audi Middle East has awarded them with $25,000 worth of consultancy to cover IP registration, legal counselling and business development.

The Audi Innovation Award, led by Audi Middle East, aims to empower regional designers and entrepreneurs while archiving intellectual progress in the region. It also seeks to raise social awareness and stimulate regional discussion for a sustainable future through the innovative use of energy and resources.

Carsten Bender, Managing Director for Audi Middle East, commented, “Ahmad and Rasha Jarrar have shown exemplary resolve for innovation over the course of the challenge. They have so accurately recognized that young consumers today want to shop sustainably and have proposed solutions that can be implemented widely and easily. We are proud to be supporting a sustainable future and providing a platform for growth of innovative like-minded individuals. With our passionate resolve, we are sure that we will ultimately reshape industrial and economic behavior. Insect Kids has created a winning proposition for parents and for the planet and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to them for winning the 5^th edition of the Audi Innovation Award.”

Ahmad and Rasha Jarrar, co-creators of Insect Kids, commented, “the toy market is huge, even more so now as people have been staying at home more than ever before. We believe there is a real opportunity for a new entrant like us to disrupt the industry and bring some attention back from traditional toys.

What we find particularly exciting is that Insect Kids is good not just for the kids, but also for the parents and the planet. By using flatpack technology and biodegradable materials, we enable parents to maintain a minimalist and clutter-free home, while the planet benefits from removing the toxic cycle of plastic toys being purchased which then end up in the landfill. Parents today are also much more comfortable with the circular economy and recognise the benefits of sustainable solutions. We believe this awareness will only continue to grow. We are delighted to have been given this platform by Audi and look forward to bringing these toys to every home in the Middle East.”

The Audi Innovation Award is the only award in the Middle East managed by an automotive brand designed to encourage innovation in the region while creating awareness about sustainable lifestyle solutions. Now in its 5th year, the award has grown in popularity with thousands of registrations for the 2020 theme from eager regional designers.

The shortlisted projects for 2020 were:

In the first place, Insect Kids by Ahmad Jarrar and Rasha Jarrar.

Second place went to Infrastic.

Created by Iman Badawi Najjar, Louay Ghezzawi, Jana Shami, and Haidar Elmkdad, Infrastic aims to reduce waste by introducing waste plastic as a main component in infrastructural services. Estimating that the construction sector is responsible for 40% of global greenhouse gases, and plastic contributes to pollution of shores and landfills, Infrastic proposes a new concrete block mix. The specialized concrete system made up of plastic pigments, Styrofoam waste particles, and stone waste infused with sand and gravel replace the traditional hollow block.

Third place went to Teknova.

Created by Ali Khaled Bin Zayed, Teknova aims to leverage an Internet of Things (IoT) based patented ‘fatigue sensor’ to measure the wear and tear of metal ware, while remotely tracking the remaining useful life of structural materials. ‘Metal fatigue’ is a problem that affects different sectors including infrastructure and transportation, causing an estimated of 90% of industrial accidents. As it is a result of regular wear and tear, it is inevitable. The new technology has the potential to significantly reduce maintenance costs, premature or unnecessarily replace parts and waste of valuable resources.

For more information on the Audi Innovation Award please visit https://audiinnovationaward.com/