Low-carbon energy solutions through the Avatar Innovations collaborative program

The need for low-carbon energy continues to grow. Innovative solutions to promote this technology are constantly being sought out to meet emission reduction goals nationally. Avatar Innovations is a trailblazer in the global energy transition and through their immersive programs generates new and impactful business ideas.

The Avatar program acts as a corporate venture studio focused on industrial decarbonization. Participants create and implement groundbreaking energy innovations within this safe space and unlock new business opportunities. Using a multi-faceted approach, Avatar Innovations is eager to solve the energy sector's most challenging problems.

GHD has again sponsored Avatar Ignite, the first round of the Avatar program, where participants are placed in cross-functional teams to develop business opportunities that address real industry challenges. This year, five GHD professionals participated in this rewarding program.

In the first stage of the program, Avatar Ignite, 46 teams were formed from 270 participants and assigned a topic covering grid reliance, net-zero hydrocarbons, methane emissions reductions, climate adaptation solutions, carbon capture storage and utilization. Participants are enrolled in a 14-week guided program where they receive exclusive access to global experts exploring a variety of different leadership topics while expanding their network.

The teams worked collaboratively to develop a business case for their proposed solution and pitched their idea to a panel of executive sponsors, which included our global future energy leader Tej Gidda. The 13 most deserving teams advance to the second round, the Avatar Studio program, where energy solutions are acknowledged for being innovative, implementable and groundbreaking. Of the 13 teams to advance to the Avatar Studio round, four included participants from GHD, showcasing the impact our people are having on energy transition solutions.

The goal of the Studio program is to build out, test and validate the concept and transform it into a practical, implementable solution. Then their ideas are pitched to a panel of investors. The final stage, Avatar Ventures, gets awarded to teams selected by the panel. The goal is to award capital for further implementation of the solutions they have developed over the past year. The Studio teams will continue to work on building out their ideas for the next several weeks while everyone at GHD cheers them on.

Our GHD participants were eager to share their experiences as part of the program. All members expressed appreciation for the program and found it to be rewarding and informative. Kevin Tomka, engineer in training at GHD and an Avatar program participant found deep value in attending the sessions: “We gained a better understanding of the problems facing the energy industry today, and what is being done to address them. It felt like an inside look at the industry that we wouldn’t have seen.” Kevin’s team has been selected for the Avatar Studio round, where he and his teammates have come up with a way to create organic waste from insects as opposed to more conventional technologies.

Avatar participants across 55 organizations spanning North America, India, Vietnam and the Netherlands have benefitted from an experience they will never forget. This was a chance to learn from each other and provide innovative ideas during a pivotal time for the industry.

GHD will continue to pave the way for innovations that move toward the future of energy.

Acerca de GHD

GHD es una empresa líder en servicios profesionales que opera en los mercados mundiales de agua, energía y recursos, medio ambiente, infraestructura y edificaciones, y transporte. Comprometidos con la visión de garantizar que el agua, la energía y las comunidades sean sostenibles para las futuras generaciones, GHD ofrece soluciones en consultoría, servicios digitales, ingeniería, arquitectura, medio ambiente y construcción a clientes del sector público y privado. Fundada en 1928 y propiedad de sus trabajadores, GHD cuenta con una red de más de 12.000 profesionales en más de 160 oficinas en cinco continentes.