Objectives

Create an open source collaboratory that expands and shares a vision for algae in our future with design ideas for algae production landscapes, sustainable and affordable algae production systems (APS) for food, medicines, feed, energy, nutrients, water remediation, carbon capture and new algae foods.

• Promote a healthy and sustainable future for integrated living communities.
• Develop and share innovative designs for algae production systems (APS).
• Elevate awareness for APS in backyards, rooftops, vacant lots, public spaces, villages, microfarms.
• Convey the value proposition of cultivating algae for its many useful coproducts.
• Engage architects, agriculture, engineers, biotechnology, life sciences and others in APS design.
• Nurture an emerging industry for sustainable and affordable food and energy (SAFE) production.
• Share real-life case studies and best practices from farmers, scientists, hobbyists, business people.
• Position algae as a pollution solution for cleaning wastewater, capturing CO2, regenerating ecosystems.
• Develop and demonstrate algae production with the desire for improved nutrition, health and vitality.
• Highlight algae for NGOs to help resolve famine, nutrient deficiencies, viral illnesses and disaster relief.
• Diffuse knowledge of algae production globally for farmers to produce for the local community.
• Share amazing new food ideas and innovative food products using algae as a featured ingredient.

We are a Collaboratory. We are an open source community and share ideas.

Why is the Algae Competition Open Source?

The Competition is open to everyone, anywhere in the world. As an open source competition, all entries will be showcased online. Users can use the content for teaching and sharing by following normal citation guidelines to give credit to the content originators.

Sufficient knowledge about algae production exists today to support successful cultivation. Unfortunately, much of the best knowledge rests with a few elite scientists and entrepreneurs who must sequester their research findings due to intellectual property limitations. Publicly funded projects should include a sunshine law- allowing public access to research findings after time has passed.

The algae industry today is fractured as each company acts to protect intellectual property behind a wall of secrecy. Scientists are prevented by non-disclosure agreements to collaborate with others or share production breakthroughs and real costs of productivity metrics. This secrecy leads to mistakes in algae production that are repeated multiple times. Companies do not readily share mistakes for fear the next round of funding will dissolve. Secrecy creates blindness, leaving students, researchers, press and policy makers without the most up-to-date knowledge. This degree of secrecy concentrates rather than expands knowledge, and slows innovation.

To allieviate this public access problem, we support a collaboratory open to everyone to share ideas. Emerging technologies will create unanticipated consequences. One solution for creating positive impacts will be to help assure that scientists, policymakers and the public have access to information.

Algae Competition Terms and Conditions
The Algae Competition provides an opportunity for participants to have their visions, ideas, innovations and solutions published via website, online, print publications, public presentations and exhibitions. By registering and submitting, you grant Algae Competition all rights to reproduce, print and display design entries on websites, exhibitions, presentations, publications and any other media anywhere in the world.

Algae Competition does not seek any ownership interests in your visions, ideas, innovations and solutions. You retain all interests in your intellectual property and we strongly encourage all participants to begin the intellectual protection process. Participants who submit material to the Competition represent that they or their team are the owner of the material and that the participant has the right to submit this material.

Algae Competition is a collaboratory, an open source competition.
• Whatever you submit will become public information to share with others.
• If you need to keep your work private, confidential or secret, do not submit it.
• If you submit, you agree that your work can become public domain information.