The Pioneers Forum 2024

With more than 400 participants, over 315 B2B meetings, and the celebration of 5 remarkable Pioneer Awards, this event truly fostered connections and showcased solutions that will drive meaningful change. The Pioneers Forum, flagship event of the Solar Impulse Foundation, has enabled members of the Foundation’s ecosystem to leverage this exclusive network, harnessing the potential of innovative efficiency solutions across various sectors. The event featured five key highlights.

Facilitating Impactful Connections: 315+ Speed-Dating Business Meetings

The Forum’s 15-minute speed-dating sessions connected corporates, investors, and public entities with innovators showcasing transformative solutions across sectors such as mobility, buildings, energy, industry, and food. These direct engagements provided invaluable opportunities for partnerships with the potential to accelerate sustainable practices across industries.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the entire team for the warm welcome and exceptional support during the Pioneer Forum. The forum's success, marked by meaningful exchanges and fruitful B2B connections, is a testament to our collaborative spirit and shared commitment to innovation. 

Sophie Desormière, Chief Growth Officer, Aliaxis

Celebrating the 2024 Pioneer Award Winners

 
The Pioneer Awards 2024 celebrated innovation and collaboration, highlighting groundbreaking solutions such as sustainable cooling systems in Nigeria and revolutionary heat recovery methods in the ceramics industry. These awards demonstrated the power of sustainable practices in driving global progress.

There are enough available solutions to protect the environment in an economically viable way. The Solar Impulse Foundation has identified and labelled more than 1,500 of them and works with governments and corporations to push for their implementation. But it takes too long. This is why we have to applaud each time a big company adopts a new solution and gives it an opportunity to grow. In collaboration with forward-looking industries, the Pioneer Award aims to show the value of replacing what destroys the environment with what protects it. 

Bertrand Piccard, Initiator and Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation

This recognition honors organisations implementing ‘Efficient Solutions’ across sectors, celebrating their pioneering spirit in advancing ecological sustainability. The five award categories were: agri-food & natural environment, building & construction, industrial processes & consumer goods, mobility, and utilities. 

Out of over 160 entries, we proudly present the top three finalists in each category in a booklet, featuring the winners of the 2024 Pioneer Awards.

Bertrand Piccard’s Keynote: A Call to Action

Bertrand Piccard reminded us that the era of just ideas is over—now is the time for action. The Forum provided a powerful platform to translate this vision into reality, fostering connections to propel the implementation of climate solutions. The event also marked the launch of the PACCT White Paper on Product as a Service (PaaS), a key business model for promoting sustainability. Developed in collaboration with PACCT for Sustainability, the white paper provides insights and recommendations for companies exploring the transformative potential of PaaS models.

Dynamic Panel Discussion: 'A Clean Industrial Deal for Europe'

This discussion brought together representatives from both the private and public sectors. Moderated by Bertrand Piccard, the panel explored how the transformation of cities into sustainable, resilient hubs presents a unique economic opportunity for industries and businesses. High-level representatives, including Brieuc de Meeûs (CEO, STIB-MIVB, Public Transport Brussels), Sophie Desormière (Chief Growth Officer, Aliaxis), Yves Kerstens (CEO, The Bekaert Group Executive), and Sacha Stolp (Director of Innovation, City of Amsterdam), discussed how urban transformation can foster economic growth, improve quality of life, and benefit industries.

City of Tomorrow Exhibition

The event concluded with "The City of Tomorrow" exhibition, conceived and produced by eco-explorer Bertrand Piccard’s Solar Impulse Foundation. This showcase of over 1,000 solutions addressed the challenges and solutions essential to the ecological transition within urban environments. Featuring more than 50 labelled solutions, the exhibition offered a glimpse into the future of sustainable cities, held at Tour & Taxis near La Maison de la Poste.