Navigating a Greener Tomorrow
Through this design challenge, we hope first and foremost to demonstrate how design interventions can address pressing societal problems. We also aim to provide students and academic partners with an exciting opportunity for cultural exchange, allowing them to showcase their creativity, connect with international colleagues, and share knowledge.
As a design challenge, there will be prizes—primarily of a non-monetary nature—awarded to the teams by a jury composed predominantly of participating institutions, international experts, selected local stakeholders, and members of the Alessandro Volta Celebrations
Eligibility
The Design Challenge is open to design and engineering academia and students and research institutes, anywhere in the world.
Team categories: Open to both individual and multidisciplinary teams.
Projects & IP: The project should be new work done for the challenge, by the participant themselves, between 2026 and Sept 2027.
Participation commitment: Participation is free and must be confirmed by the academic institution via a letter of intent submitted to the Volta27 project. While we recognize the variety of curriculum structures across institutions, we expect participants to endeavor to submit 3 to 6 projects of their choosing, with a minimum of 3. Individual designs contributing to a larger overarching multi students project are considered separate submissions as long as each constitutes a complete, original entry.
The challenge is designed to be feasible as part of a Master's-level academic program or as a special project run parallel to the academic year. It requires dedicated time to explore opportunities, develop concepts, and produce design proposals—such as blueprints, small-scale prototypes, interactive devices, videos, or exhibition materials—of a quality that the academic institution is proud to showcase in an exhibition alongside peer institutions.
Funding
Volta27 and the local stakeholders will secure the exhibition space and event management for the Lake Como Design Festival 2027. Universities must ensure they are able to participate and exhibit their projects with the appropriate number of staff and students.
Volta27 is currently fundraising with the intention of providing financial support to help students attend the festival and meet their fellow participants. While we cannot commit to a specific amount per student at this stage, we will keep university staff informed of our progress, and will welcome suggestions and support for joint applications.