ITT Launches "Ideation Challenge" to Help Solve Global Water Issues
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MORTON GROVE, Illinois - March 30, 2011 - ITT Residential & Commercial Water along with foundation partner ITT Watermark, has launched an Ideation Challenge on www.innocentive.com to help address water problems worldwide.
Supported by InnoCentive.com, theChallenge encourages a collaborative approach to solving global water challenges, including water scarcity and safe-water accessibility. The focus of the Challenge is to educate illiterate populations about the importance of purifying drinking water.
InnoCentive.com's Global Solver Network, comprised of individuals with varied professional backgrounds and work experience, will help suggest solutions to this challenge. Everyone is encouraged to submit their own original solutions as well. The Challenge winner will receive a grand prize of $5,000.
"The Ideation Challenge will harness the creative brain power of people all over the world, to examine the global water challenge from a new angle," said Anthonie Lombard, vice president and director of global engineering, RCW. "Watermark is more than a philanthropic program that aids those in need; it's an opportunity for people to come together and make a true global impact on the well-being and future of society."
Founded by the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, InnoCentive is an independent organization serving many in the InnoCentive Global Solver Network. The crowdsourcing network harnesses the brainpower of individuals with varied professional backgrounds and work experience to help find solutions to challenges in disciplines such as Business & Entrepreneurship, Chemistry, Engineering/Design, Food/Agriculture, Math and many others.
"I'm encouraged to see that this critical water issue will be given the power of a global community of problem solvers, all highly motivated to make a difference," said Dwayne Spradlin, InnoCentive's president and CEO. "The impact of this solution will be felt around the globe."
Bjorn von Euler, Director Corporate Philanthropy with ITT stated, "When we created this partnership with InnoCentive, we thought, lets try to see if brilliant people outside our industry can find ways to inspire and educate families and communities in critical areas around the world to understand the importance of drinking water."
ITT Watermark continues to provide safe water to children and families in need worldwide. Last year, the company announced a bold new goal: to improve the lives of one million people through Watermark by 2013.
The ITT Ideation Challenge is open to participants from any discipline or background, and runs until April 27, 2011. After a review of all submissions, the winning solution will be published and available in May 2011.
For more information on the ITT Watermark Ideation Challenge go to www.innocentive.com
About ITT Corporation
ITT Corporation is a high-technology engineering and manufacturing company operating on all seven continents in three vital markets: water and fluids management, global defense and security, and motion and flow control. With a heritage of innovation, ITT partners with its customers to deliver extraordinary solutions that create more livable environments, provide protection and safety and connect our world. Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., the company reported 2010 revenue of $11 billion. www.itt.com.
About ITT Watermark
Launched in August 2008, ITT Watermark's mission is to make a sustainable mark in the world by providing safe water to children and families in need. To accomplish this goal, ITT pledged an initial $4 million over three years (2008-2010) to three nonprofit partners: Water For People, China Women's Development Foundation and Mercy Corps. To date, ITT Watermark has delivered safe water to more than 300,000 people following emergencies in Haiti, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, China, Niger and Honduras. By the end of 2010, the program is also expected to achieve its goal of providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to 300 schools, serving 200,000 students and teachers in India, China, Guatemala and Honduras. For more information, visit ittwatermark.com.
About InnoCentive
Founded in 2001, InnoCentive built the first global web community for open innovation, enabling scientists, engineers, professionals and entrepreneurs to collaborate to deliver breakthrough solutions for R&D-driven organizations. InnoCentive Seekers, who collectively spend billions of dollars on R&D, submit complex problems to the InnoCentive Marketplace where more than 175,000 engineers, scientists, inventors, business people, and research organizations in more than 175 countries are invited to solve them. Solvers who deliver the most innovative solutions receive financial awards ranging up to US$1,000,000. InnoCentive's Seekers include commercial, government and non-profit organizations such as Avery Dennison, SAP, Procter & Gamble, Pendulum, Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen, Solvay and The Rockefeller Foundation. For more information on InnoCentive, go to: www.innocentive.com.
Press Contact
Monica Levy
Director, Communications
847-983-5901
monica.levy@itt.com
