#BeOpenDESIGN
Bottlecup by London studio Seymourpowell rethinks everyday hydration by merging a vacuum-insulated water bottle and a reusable cup into a single, streamlined object designed to reduce reliance on disposable cups. Created in response to the billions of takeaway cups discarded each year in the UK, the stainless-steel bottle neatly locks inside the cup, allowing both elements to function independently without compromise. Thoughtful details such as a twist-release mechanism, a silicone band that improves grip and prevents leaks, and a cup lid stored in the base make the product intuitive to use and easy to carry. Built with circular design principles in mind, Bottlecup avoids mixed materials, using recyclable stainless steel and responsibly recyclable silicone to deliver a practical, engineered solution that fits seamlessly into daily routines.
More extraordinary water bottles on our blog.
Bottlecup by London studio Seymourpowell rethinks everyday hydration by merging a vacuum-insulated water bottle and a reusable cup into a single, streamlined object designed to reduce reliance on disposable cups. Created in response to the billions of takeaway cups discarded each year in the UK, the stainless-steel bottle neatly locks inside the cup, allowing both elements to function independently without compromise. Thoughtful details such as a twist-release mechanism, a silicone band that improves grip and prevents leaks, and a cup lid stored in the base make the product intuitive to use and easy to carry. Built with circular design principles in mind, Bottlecup avoids mixed materials, using recyclable stainless steel and responsibly recyclable silicone to deliver a practical, engineered solution that fits seamlessly into daily routines.
More extraordinary water bottles on our blog.
#BeOpenARCH
Vestre’s The Plus, designed by BIG, the Danish architecture firm led by Bjarke Ingels, is a groundbreaking furniture factory in Norway and the world’s most environmentally friendly production facility. Shaped like a bold cross and set within a 300,000-square-meter pine forest, the factory blends transparency, sustainability, and public engagement: oversized windows reveal the production process, rooftop solar panels and water-recycling systems showcase green technology, and exterior ramps and paths invite the community to explore. Completed in just 18 months, it functions as both a working factory and a learning environment, proving that industrial design can be visually striking, socially accessible, and radically low-impact.
More sustainable factories on our blog.
Vestre’s The Plus, designed by BIG, the Danish architecture firm led by Bjarke Ingels, is a groundbreaking furniture factory in Norway and the world’s most environmentally friendly production facility. Shaped like a bold cross and set within a 300,000-square-meter pine forest, the factory blends transparency, sustainability, and public engagement: oversized windows reveal the production process, rooftop solar panels and water-recycling systems showcase green technology, and exterior ramps and paths invite the community to explore. Completed in just 18 months, it functions as both a working factory and a learning environment, proving that industrial design can be visually striking, socially accessible, and radically low-impact.
More sustainable factories on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Conceptualized by Georgia-based designer Aleksandr Misiukevich, Vacy and Mopy are palm-sized desktop cleaning robots that quietly automate daily desk maintenance, restoring order before you even sit down to work. Vacy operates as a miniature robo vacuum, intelligently navigating edges while collecting hair, crumbs, and debris, then returning to its dock when the battery runs low. Mopy complements it with a gentle mopping pass, removing stains and water spots using a refillable water tank and a replaceable cleaning pad. Portable, intelligent, and surprisingly thorough, the duo brings floor-cleaning logic to the desktop.
Conceptualized by Georgia-based designer Aleksandr Misiukevich, Vacy and Mopy are palm-sized desktop cleaning robots that quietly automate daily desk maintenance, restoring order before you even sit down to work. Vacy operates as a miniature robo vacuum, intelligently navigating edges while collecting hair, crumbs, and debris, then returning to its dock when the battery runs low. Mopy complements it with a gentle mopping pass, removing stains and water spots using a refillable water tank and a replaceable cleaning pad. Portable, intelligent, and surprisingly thorough, the duo brings floor-cleaning logic to the desktop.
#BeOpenARCH
Presented in the gardens of Sunder Nursery, New Delhi, Sacred Nature marks the inaugural edition of the Aranyani Pavilion. Designed by London-based architectural practice T__M.space for the conservation and creative initiative Aranyani, the spiral walkthrough structure translates ecological research into a walkable architectural form rooted in India’s tradition of sacred groves. Blending digital design with handcraft, the pavilion is built from upcycled Lantana camara, an invasive species, and topped with a living canopy of over forty native plant species. Functioning as both microhabitat and spatial narrative, the project guides visitors through a slow, reflective journey toward a central shrine.
Presented in the gardens of Sunder Nursery, New Delhi, Sacred Nature marks the inaugural edition of the Aranyani Pavilion. Designed by London-based architectural practice T__M.space for the conservation and creative initiative Aranyani, the spiral walkthrough structure translates ecological research into a walkable architectural form rooted in India’s tradition of sacred groves. Blending digital design with handcraft, the pavilion is built from upcycled Lantana camara, an invasive species, and topped with a living canopy of over forty native plant species. Functioning as both microhabitat and spatial narrative, the project guides visitors through a slow, reflective journey toward a central shrine.
#BeOpenNEWS
Yesterday, February 24, The World Sustainable Energy Days has started in Wels, Austria. As part of this leading international platform for energy transition, BE OPEN is presenting its sustainability focused competition programme during the Young Energy Researchers Conference, highlighting the role of young creatives and researchers in shaping a more responsible energy future.
WSED brings together participants from over 60 countries to explore policies, technologies, and business models that increase competitiveness and make energy more affordable. Within this dynamic setting, the Young Energy Researchers Conference showcases emerging talent across technology, engineering, economics, social sciences, architecture, law, and the arts, while connecting them with industry leaders, EU and national officials, and public sector organisations.
Yesterday, February 24, The World Sustainable Energy Days has started in Wels, Austria. As part of this leading international platform for energy transition, BE OPEN is presenting its sustainability focused competition programme during the Young Energy Researchers Conference, highlighting the role of young creatives and researchers in shaping a more responsible energy future.
WSED brings together participants from over 60 countries to explore policies, technologies, and business models that increase competitiveness and make energy more affordable. Within this dynamic setting, the Young Energy Researchers Conference showcases emerging talent across technology, engineering, economics, social sciences, architecture, law, and the arts, while connecting them with industry leaders, EU and national officials, and public sector organisations.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Ori is a groundbreaking umbrella startup from MIT engineers and origami experts, introducing a frameless, origami-inspired design that compresses a standard 1-meter canopy into a pocket-sized cylinder. Using NASA-grade folding principles and a patented Miura-based structure, Ori turns the canopy itself into a rigid, self-supporting frame, eliminating traditional ribs, fabric, and failure points. Beyond its mechanical innovation, the umbrella integrates digital features like air-quality readings, mood-adaptive visuals, customizable colors, and one-touch operation, blending smart technology with a revolutionary folding system. Founder Edition units are slated for 2026, redefining a centuries-old everyday object.
Ori is a groundbreaking umbrella startup from MIT engineers and origami experts, introducing a frameless, origami-inspired design that compresses a standard 1-meter canopy into a pocket-sized cylinder. Using NASA-grade folding principles and a patented Miura-based structure, Ori turns the canopy itself into a rigid, self-supporting frame, eliminating traditional ribs, fabric, and failure points. Beyond its mechanical innovation, the umbrella integrates digital features like air-quality readings, mood-adaptive visuals, customizable colors, and one-touch operation, blending smart technology with a revolutionary folding system. Founder Edition units are slated for 2026, redefining a centuries-old everyday object.
#BeOpenDESIGN
The Anemoia Device is a prototype by MIT Media Lab researcher Cyrus Clarke that turns photographs into custom fragrances, treating memory as something that can be physically distilled. Using generative AI, the machine analyzes an image and, guided by three tactile dials for perspective, life stage, and emotional tone, blends a bespoke scent from a library of base aromas. Rooted in the idea of anemoia, a nostalgia for times never personally lived, the project is especially focused on archival and inherited images, producing fragrances that feel familiar yet imagined. By translating visual memories into scent and emphasizing personal narrative over literal accuracy, Clarke aims to make memory more tangible, sensory, and reflective, pushing back against its reduction to digital files and feeds.
More AI-powered devices on our blog.
The Anemoia Device is a prototype by MIT Media Lab researcher Cyrus Clarke that turns photographs into custom fragrances, treating memory as something that can be physically distilled. Using generative AI, the machine analyzes an image and, guided by three tactile dials for perspective, life stage, and emotional tone, blends a bespoke scent from a library of base aromas. Rooted in the idea of anemoia, a nostalgia for times never personally lived, the project is especially focused on archival and inherited images, producing fragrances that feel familiar yet imagined. By translating visual memories into scent and emphasizing personal narrative over literal accuracy, Clarke aims to make memory more tangible, sensory, and reflective, pushing back against its reduction to digital files and feeds.
More AI-powered devices on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Ermis Chair by Rotterdam studio The New Raw is a mono-material, 3D-printed seat made entirely from recycled polypropylene sourced from the studio’s own misprints and additive manufacturing waste. Created as a way to turn research byproducts into durable design, the chair is produced by shredding plastic offcuts into granules, melting them into filament, and printing the form layer by layer. Its distinctive blue-to-yellow gradient and tactile, striated surface emerge directly from this process, making the production method both structure and ornament.
Free from adhesives or additional finishes, the Ermis Chair is fully recyclable, embodying the studio’s vision of an “infinite loop” where waste becomes the raw material for future design.
More zero-waste projects on our blog.
Ermis Chair by Rotterdam studio The New Raw is a mono-material, 3D-printed seat made entirely from recycled polypropylene sourced from the studio’s own misprints and additive manufacturing waste. Created as a way to turn research byproducts into durable design, the chair is produced by shredding plastic offcuts into granules, melting them into filament, and printing the form layer by layer. Its distinctive blue-to-yellow gradient and tactile, striated surface emerge directly from this process, making the production method both structure and ornament.
Free from adhesives or additional finishes, the Ermis Chair is fully recyclable, embodying the studio’s vision of an “infinite loop” where waste becomes the raw material for future design.
More zero-waste projects on our blog.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Aissa Joud as the February Regional Artist of the Month in the Northeastern Africa stage of its 2026 global art competition. Running from January through April, this stage recognizes outstanding emerging artists from across the region, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar.
Aissa Joud is a Moroccan artist from Ouarzazate, where he began his career selling works to tourists before pursuing formal arts education. Influenced by the cultural legacy of his hometown, his practice explores the intersection of history, environment, and contemporary life.
As one of four monthly awardees in this regional stage, Aissa Joud joins the competition for the title of Regional Winner. The selected winner will receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Aissa Joud as the February Regional Artist of the Month in the Northeastern Africa stage of its 2026 global art competition. Running from January through April, this stage recognizes outstanding emerging artists from across the region, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar.
Aissa Joud is a Moroccan artist from Ouarzazate, where he began his career selling works to tourists before pursuing formal arts education. Influenced by the cultural legacy of his hometown, his practice explores the intersection of history, environment, and contemporary life.
As one of four monthly awardees in this regional stage, Aissa Joud joins the competition for the title of Regional Winner. The selected winner will receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
#BeOpenDESIGN
At CES 2026, China-based technology brand iKKo unveiled the card-sized MindOne, a compact smartphone designed around productivity, featuring a magnetically attaching snap-in case with a full QWERTY keyboard that transforms it into a handheld, laptop-like device for tactile typing. Measuring just 86 × 72 mm and 8.9 mm thick, the phone pairs its raised-key keyboard and built-in 500 mAh backup battery with a durable sapphire glass–protected AMOLED display, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and Android 15 running iKKO AI OS with NovaLink-powered tools like real-time translation and voice summaries. The Pro model includes global vSIM connectivity usable in over 140 countries, while a 50MP Sony flip camera with optical image stabilization and an F1.88 aperture rotates for front or rear shooting, positioning the MindOne as a pocket-sized productivity device that blends retro tactile input with modern AI and imaging features.
At CES 2026, China-based technology brand iKKo unveiled the card-sized MindOne, a compact smartphone designed around productivity, featuring a magnetically attaching snap-in case with a full QWERTY keyboard that transforms it into a handheld, laptop-like device for tactile typing. Measuring just 86 × 72 mm and 8.9 mm thick, the phone pairs its raised-key keyboard and built-in 500 mAh backup battery with a durable sapphire glass–protected AMOLED display, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and Android 15 running iKKO AI OS with NovaLink-powered tools like real-time translation and voice summaries. The Pro model includes global vSIM connectivity usable in over 140 countries, while a 50MP Sony flip camera with optical image stabilization and an F1.88 aperture rotates for front or rear shooting, positioning the MindOne as a pocket-sized productivity device that blends retro tactile input with modern AI and imaging features.
#BeOpenDESIGN
US-based startup Blackdot has created an AI-powered tattoo device designed to make tattooing faster, safer, and significantly less painful while supporting, not replacing, human artists. Tattoo designs are created by artists, then applied by the machine under operator supervision using sensors and imaging technology to precisely control needle depth and reduce discomfort. The device is currently operating in select studios across the country, with the company continuing to expand its reach and refine the technology.
US-based startup Blackdot has created an AI-powered tattoo device designed to make tattooing faster, safer, and significantly less painful while supporting, not replacing, human artists. Tattoo designs are created by artists, then applied by the machine under operator supervision using sensors and imaging technology to precisely control needle depth and reduce discomfort. The device is currently operating in select studios across the country, with the company continuing to expand its reach and refine the technology.
#BeOpenNEWS
Applications are now open for UNEP’s flagship youth initiative - the Young Champions of the Earth prize. This programme recognizes outstanding young leaders (ages 18–30) who are implementing bold, innovative solutions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
As an UNEP-accredited organisation, BE OPEN encourages the participants of the sustainability-focused competitions to submit their projects. The Young Champions will receive global recognition, seed funding, training, mentorship and access to influential change-makers.
Applications close on 31st March 2026
Since 2017, UNEP has honored 33 trailblazing Young Champions activists, entrepreneurs, and innovators for their groundbreaking ideas to protect the environment.
Applications are now open for UNEP’s flagship youth initiative - the Young Champions of the Earth prize. This programme recognizes outstanding young leaders (ages 18–30) who are implementing bold, innovative solutions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
As an UNEP-accredited organisation, BE OPEN encourages the participants of the sustainability-focused competitions to submit their projects. The Young Champions will receive global recognition, seed funding, training, mentorship and access to influential change-makers.
Applications close on 31st March 2026
Since 2017, UNEP has honored 33 trailblazing Young Champions activists, entrepreneurs, and innovators for their groundbreaking ideas to protect the environment.