Accelerate Estonia 2021 — Solving Wicked Problems
UPDATE: why support from Estonia?
Make it possible to build, make it possible to experiment.
In the UK it is very difficult to build new homes.
You hear about new homes during the election campaign (to capture young voters) but the reality is that the law is designed to preserve the status quo.
In a nutshell, if you are a developer and want to build new homes, you need to also build a road, parking, park, school as well.
In our project, our intention is to become fully off-the-grid self-sufficient and there is no dependency on government services, other than the military but we hope we remain in peace.
(and build prosperous future)
Below is copy-paste from the form
Your Moonshot Idea
What is your inspiring Moonshot vision in one sentence? (Please complete the form in English. There is space at the end of the form to add more context, links etc. so you can focus us on the key elements/highlights at the start.)
Independent food + water + energy that makes housing resilient to climate change and related global instability.
What will the world look like if your moonshot succeeds?
In brief, describe what the specific change will be (is it novel; audacious; does it need socio-economic transformation?) and why that change will make the world a better place.
World of abundance. Independent food + water + energy makes it possible to live anywhere, no need to migrate.
It is effectively solving the refugee crisis as well as housing affordability crisis.
Public Sector Role
Accelerate Estonia offers unique access to decision makers in the Estonian Government and public sector. Knowing there is a specific and relevant role for the Estonian public sector is essential for us to understand whether this is the right program for your project. What public sector support needed to run the experiments or make the solution possible? e.g. do public sector processes need to change; or policies, regulations, market conditions? Or do you need a sandbox environment to run experiments that would not normally be allowed?
The existing building code allows tiny homes up to 20 square meters and 5 meters tall. We would like to seek permission for an experimental village with scalable off-the-grid infrastructure.
This is because some of the facilities make sense only with the economy of the scale.
In other words, it is possible to have individual house fully off-the-grid but the cost per unit will be lower in a village arrangement.
Market Creation
Scaling impact by creating a market for other business should be at the core of your project with aE. What is your idea for creating a market and how will your business growth increase the market opportunity for other businesses?
Once the technology is developed, the excess capacity of independent homes can be utilized on platforms like AirBnb. US military rather than bombing countries can deploy manufacturing bases that will 3D print these homes at a scale in the affected regions.
Problem
In brief, what is the problem you are solving and who has it?
Reliance on supply chain with food. Reliance on the energy grid. Reliance on water reservoirs.
There was that ship stuck in Suez Canal. There could be any number of reasons why the food is not delivered, we need to plan accordingly.
Why is this problem “wicked”?
In brief, why is the problem particularly complex? Why hasn’t it been solved already and why is it urgent in Estonia now?
It is the intersection of many problems and many technologies. Estonia offers an abundance of natural resources: sea, woodland, water reserves. Citizens should
What is your solution?
In one sentence, what is your idea for solving this problem?
Independent food + water + energy.
Why is your solution a moonshot?
How is your solution audacious and game changing?
Because it solves one of the most pressing problems facing humanity at a global scale.
Progress / Status
What is the current status of your idea, has been achieved so far and what are your next steps?
Various pieces of technology exist independently but currently, there is no single package that would connect independent food + water + energy
Impact
What is the potential massive/game changing impact if successful (in numbers if possible)?
It changes the geopolitical status of the entire planet. It makes it possible to live anywhere.
Business Model
If successful, aE projects should launch from the program with scalable business models. What is your project’s most likely scalable business model?
Just. Build. More. Homes. Cost of housing in the cities is not affordable for many young people. If we enable technology that allows living independently, chances are people will choose that way. Building more homes is a very scalable business model.
Key Experiments
What are the key experiments needed to validate the solution? i.e. what to you need to test in Estonia to prove the solution is viable and has the potential to have massive impact?
Connecting various pieces of technology and experimenting with how they work together at a scale.
Economic Opportunity
aE’s remit is to turn wicked problems into economic opportunities for Estonia. How might the solution create economic returns for Estonia?
Attracting intellectual capital to Estonia. Making society more resilient to consequences of the climate change.
Team
Describe your personal connection to the field, including business experience or experience in the public sector or academy. Are there any other contributors to your team — what is their role? Which skills would you need to add to your team?
Mars Robertson: entrepreneur: https://marsrobertson.com/
Joanna Picetti: businesswoman, politician: https://jp.network
Julien Carbonnell: Smart-City and Civic-Tech, PhD in urban science: https://juliencarbonnell.medium.com/
Letty: XPRIZE Visioneering
Dan: already based in Estonia, blockchain entrepreneur
Supporting Information
We’ve asked for short responses above so you can focus us on the most important and urgent issues and opportunities. Please use this space to any supporting information and links you think are valuable.
Similar ideas:
- https://www.regenvillages.com/
- https://www.effekt.dk/regenvillages
- https://futurethinkers.org/village/Key terms: “regenerative village” and “smart village”
Questions?
Do you have any questions for the Accelerate Estonia team?
Are you aware of all the geopolitical factors related to climate change? (food, water, energy security)
Will you consider allowing to use some of the lands that belong to the Republic of Estonia?
Please offer us honest feedback, we will continue to work on BaseX (independent food water energy) and we are hoping that Estonia will welcome our efforts.
