Twelve new Frontier Tech Pioneers selected!

The sixth call of Frontier Technology Livestreaming has come to a close and the latest cohort of pilot ideas and FCDO Pioneers has been chosen.

We received a staggering 110 applications from FCDO staff, more than double what we’ve seen previously.

Applications represented 33 different countries across all six major continents, and ranged in sectoral focus: from humanitarian to health, to governance, education, and private sector development. Thanks to all the staff across FCDO who chose to take part in the process.

This year, perhaps with the run up to COP26 in people’s minds (as well as our own encouragement for climate-related applications), 52 of the 110 ideas looked to use frontier technology to mitigate or adapt to the global climate crisis. Interestingly, we also saw that the ‘tech frontier’ has grown and shifted for FCDO staff, with a variety of nature-based solutions for regenerative practices and sustainable livelihoods in the mix.

After much deliberation, the panel selected twelve innovative proposals from the large and impressive range of ideas that staff put forward.

Pilot teams will receive an initial £75,000 in funding, with potential for another £50,000 for high-performing pilots. Teams will also access matchmaking opportunities with specialised technologists, be supported to work in lean and agile ways and livestream what learn along the way.

We congratulate the newest cohort of Frontier Tech Pioneers on their outstanding ideas and wish them success with their pilots!

• Early Warning Forest Fire Detection System: using thermal sensors and machine learning to devise an early warning system to prevent and manage wildfires in Pakistan
• “ELEK TEY”, Electrifying Water Transport for Better Livelihoods: introducing electric boat motors that use pay-as-you-go solar batteries for cleaner, cheaper transportation for low-income communities in Senegal
• Mangrove Aquaculture for Sustainable Marine Livelihoods: designing a novel technology “stack” to combat mangrove destruction by encouraging the development of bivalve aquaculture with coastal communities in Mozambique
• Flying medicines over mountains in the Nepali health system: Integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles into the Nepali health system to deliver medical supplies to remote populations
• De-duplicating aid to enhance the impact of humanitarian assistance: connecting data management systems between humanitarian cash actors to responsibly identify duplication of assistance and enhance efficiency and accountability
• Smart geo-seals to track delivery of humanitarian aid: Monitoring whether humanitarian goods reach beneficiaries by tracking a geo-referenced tag and sending an alert when the smart-seal is broken
• Info wars: countering disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech: using machine-learning enabled software to identify mis- and disinformation in a complex context
• Validation of low-cost sensors for optimal insect protein production: providing insect-farmers with the real-time data needed to immediately respond and optimise growth conditions
• A blockchain-enhanced platform to support humanitarian crises: creating a secure, reliable, and transparent platform to enable the Venezuelan diaspora to support and monitor humanitarian projects in the country
• Improving land ownership records using blockchain technology: improving the system of land registry in an Indian state by digitising land records using the blockchain
• Testing the production of hydroponic fodder for cattle: using sensor and solar tech to determine the optimum conditions for growing hydroponic fodder in Nigeria, and exploring innovative business models for scaling its use amongst different groups
• Enabling smallholder farmers to access the global carbon markets: using satellite imagery, photos, and GPS technology to remotely monitor and verify trees grown in Uganda by smallholder farmers, enabling them to access carbon credits

We hope you join us in giving a very warm welcome to the programme to these new teams!

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