2021 Green Competition winners focus on sustainable solutions to everyday issues

Four teams of students and graduates from various Palestinian universities won the 2021 Green Competition, organized by Birzeit University’s B-Hub, for their innovative products and initiatives that help reduce pollution and protect the environment. 

Over 70 teams from different regions in Palestine joined the competition, with 18 teams qualifying for the finals and four claiming the final prize, a four-day trip to Germany to join an eco-design workshop held by the Ecodesign Learning Factory in Berlin. 

The first winning team, led by Ibrahim Tmaizah, created a software program that can analyze the wastewater infrastructure of a region and suggest technological solutions that can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the local wastewater treatment facility. The second team, an initiative by the Hebron Chamber of Commerce and Industry spearheaded by Mohammad Muhtaseb, facilitates the recycling of plastic waste to be reused in the local industry. 

The third team, led by Mohammad Jaradat, developed an application that can scan crops and detect any diseases that they might carry so that local farmers could better protect their harvest. The app also includes digital crop management tools. The fourth team, lead by Qays Safa, created sustainable, eco-friendly meals out of oyster mushrooms, which are a common type of edible fungi. 

The competition, which culminated in the announcement of the results on Monday, August 2, 2021, included several rounds in which the participants met with experts from B-Hub, who helped them develop and hone their designs. In the final stage, the 18 finalists were assessed on the effect that their innovations will have on the environment as well as the originality, novelty, and feasibility of their designs. 

The submissions were evaluated by Olga Albatran, director of B-Hub; Baher Dkedik, an organization development specialist; Mohammad Moqadi, a business mentor; and 
Moayad Rimawi, a specialist in green and eco-friendly initiatives. 

Rasha Naser Aldean, an organization development specialist who supervised the competition, said that the contest is part of B-Hub’s efforts to promote environmental sustainability in the Palestinian community and beyond, especially at a time when action is required on a local and a global level to halt climate change and preserve the environment. 

B-Hub, Naser Aldean added, is an open platform that encourages innovation and supports creators and entrepreneurs by providing a multitude of consultancy and technical services aimed at growing social and green initiatives.