WIREDGOV

After an intense weekend of planning, perfecting and pitching, two winners have emerged from the inaugural GeoVation Camp, both of which will now have a chance to win a share of £25,000 to help make their ideas a reality.

GeoVation is Ordnance Survey’s innovation network which seeks to encourage the use of geography to address specific needs. The GeoVation Camp, held at the King’s Cross Hub, was designed to take the best ideas from the How can Britain feed itself? Challenge, and turn them into prototype ventures and enterprises.

After spending all weekend working on their ideas; facilitated by design and innovation experts Innovation Scout, the five shortlisted entrants were asked to pitch to a panel of judges made up of Liz Ratcliffe of Ordnance Survey, Eloise Dey of Sustain, James Cutler from eMapsite, Nick Snelgar of Future Farms and chaired by Roland Harwood, co-founder of the open innovation consultancy 100%Open.

The two ideas judged to have the greatest potential were City Farms and Food Nation, which will both now go forward to the GeoVation Showcase in May.

City Farmers is the brainchild of Peter Boyce who wants to use shops selling local produce as hubs to teach people how to grow their own food. Boyce aims to use Ordnance Survey mapping to rekindle a Dig for Victory style culture by identifying all available land that could be used to grow food for the wellbeing of the local population.

The second idea to progress came from Louise Campbell, one of the finalists from last year’s GeoVation Awards. Her Food Nation smartphone app uses OS OpenData and the Geomium social location platform to encourage a closer relationship between consumers and the people who grow their food.

Through the use of mapping and the FARMA API, which locates farmers markets, farm shops and cafes, the application would list daily food deals, helping buyers save money whilst creating new opportunities for suppliers. 

The judges were impressed with Campbell’s idea as something which could be brought to market quickly whilst delivering a clear impact. City Farmers garnered praise for its proposed solution to a clear and well articulated problem.

Roland Harwood, chair of the judging panel, says: “I could feel the buzz of an active, intense, yet fun and exciting weekend as the teams prepared their pitches. The judges were impressed with the quality of the presentations and the energy and genuine enthusiasm with which they were delivered.”

Dr Chris Parker, one of the GeoVation organisers, adds: “It was an exhausting but brilliant weekend. Everyone should be proud of what they achieved and I am very excited to see what our two finalists now do with their ideas before the GeoVation Showcase next year. I’d also like to thank all of our volunteer judges who did a brilliant job.”

Eloise Dey is from Sustain’s Capital Growth project, which aims to convert 2,012 spaces in London into food growing areas that benefit the community by the year 2012.

Nick Snelgar is a part of the Futurefarms co-operative. Set up in early 2004, its purpose is to grow food within the parish of Martin in Hampshire, for sale to the people who live there.

James Cutler is CEO and founder of eMapsite, a leading provider of digital geographic content and geospatial services for professional users and a returning GeoVation judge.

There are three GeoVation Challenges being run as part of the current awards programme. The second, How can we improve transport in Britain is still open to submissions and thanks to support from the Technology Strategy Board’s Ideas in Transit Project, has an awards fund of £150,000.

The third Challenge will launch in the New Year.