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Futures 100 Innovators Awards 2022 announced

Dr Catherine Nakalembe, US

NASA Harvest’s Dr Catherine Nakalembe is the winner of The Future Laboratory’s first ever Futures 100 Innovators Awards, which took place on Thursday 6 October at London’s Royal Academy of Arts (RA).

Dr Nakalembe triumphed over 100 innovators whose work cut across 14 lifestyle sectors – from fashion and beauty to finance, retail, luxury and biotech – and introduced as many game-changing technologies, ideas and innovations to consumers in the US, the EU and Africa.

Nakalembe’s work – which focuses on using satellites and machine learning to future-proof African farming against the impact of drought and climate change – was described by judges from the worlds of design, tech, branding, retail and social media as ‘an idea that delivers long-term generational impact’, the ‘big idea that links technology with the provision of food’, and from Platform13’s founder Leila Fataar, an innovation that is ‘game-changing, societal, environmental, impactful and innovative’.

Second place in our Futures 100 Innovators Awards went to entrepreneur Harsha L’Acqua, for founding Saira Hospitality, her non-profit platform and academy that partners with leading hospitality brands globally to give marginalised people access to skills and knowledge as a gateway to new careers development, while our special merit runners-up award went to sisters Alexia and Margot de Broglie for developing Your Juno, a one-stop shop for women’s financial education.

Strategic opportunity

Many of our innovators are still seeking co-funding and venture capital partnerships to further their innovations in terms of next-stage development and longevity. Why not consider speaking to them about how you can get involved with their future success?

Olssøn Barbieri playfully rebrands a Bordeaux winery

Château Picoron. Identity by OlssønBarbieri, France

France – Norwegian studio Olssøn Barbieri has devised a new brand identity and packaging for the Château Picoron winery – playful and modern yet a nod to the strict regulations of the Bordeaux winemaking region.

The 16th-century château commissioned Olssøn Barbieri for the rebranding, aiming to break with traditional aesthetics and highlight how climate change is challenging winemaking’s future. The new design employs variations on a single font, and all wines were renamed using palindromes (words that read the same backwards and forwards), playfully referencing Bordeaux’s strict rules.

‘Home to some of the world’s most prestigious wines and strictest self-imposed regulations, Bordeaux has begun to lose its appeal to new generations,’ says Olssøn Barbieri. ‘The goal was to create an inclusive brand identity by shaking the snobbery of the region, making wines more fun while honouring their legacy.’

We are beginning to see brands pouring wit into wine branding and steer away from conventions by playfully bending the rules, such as Château Picoron's updated identity which resonates with younger wine enthusiasts and takes legacy to a new era.

Strategic opportunity

Even in heavily regulated and stuffy industries, brands can find ways to stay fresh and relevant – a necessary update to appeal to younger luxury consumers

RCVRY, a cannabis brand designed for gamers

US – A new brand is creating synergy between the burgeoning gaming and cannabis industries, an unexplored yet promising association of two intertwined worlds.

RCVRY is the brainchild of YouTuber and esports mogul FaZe Rain and The Parent Company, a California-based cannabis platform. The brand will focus on supporting lifestyles centred on wellness and creativity, a choice guided by FaZe Rain’s own experience with cannabis easing his recovery from nerve damage.

‘I saw a need to further the potential of the industry by helping to advance the mainstream acceptance of cannabis. RCVRY was created to further that goal and change opinions on cannabis while providing a consistent source of top-tier flower to community members,’ FaZe Rain said in a statement.

The initial launch includes an exclusive Rainz Runtz cannabis strain and merchandise, which will be sold in limited quantities in a West Hollywood dispensary.

Like Houseplant’s playful rebranding presents cannabis products breaking away from a wellness-orientated image, RCVRY is the industry's first step into the gaming world, a sizeable potential market largely unexplored by cannabis brands until now.

RCVRY by The Parent Company, US

Strategic opportunity

The RCVRY project further highlights the power of communities and the commercial potential of tailor-made concepts catering for a specific community or niche

Stat: Hostels are an environmentally conscious alternative to hotels

The Standard hotel, Thailand

Global – A new study by leading sustainability specialist Bureau Veritas, commissioned by go-to travel agent for hostel-seeking travellers Hostelworld, has found that hotels in Europe are 75% more carbon-intensive than hostels.

The study analysed data from 27,509 beds in hostels and hotels across Europe to calculate the average tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) per bed. It found that the carbon emissions per bed in hotels averages 1.18 tCO2e, compared to 0.30 tCO2e in hostels, showing that hostels are a climate-friendly alternative to hotels.

According to Gary Morrison, CEO of Hostelworld, travellers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, with 53% of customers saying sustainability plays a role in the travel planning process.

As consumers’ concerns about the impact of mass tourism and climate change increase, sustainable tourism choices will become more desirable.