The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 12: Summer 2019 | Page 24

TECHNOLOGY Can technology help us save the planet? by Nathan Baranowski, Managing Director, OJO Solutions When you look at today’s news, the issue of climate change is rarely found far from the headlines. Nathan Baranowski Although the topic is still hotly debated, research shows that more and more of us are becoming anxious about the future of our planet. With leading scientists warning that we have just 12 years to act, the call for urgent action has trebled in volume and, increasingly, people are starting to ask ‘what can I do to help?’ Along with behavioural change, technology can play a large part in rebooting the health of our planet – that’s according to the World Economic Forum which places great importance on the potential of remote sensing, drones, and AI when it comes to planning, monitoring and evaluating the impact of climate change. However, when it comes to saving the planet, public perception is also key. At OJO Solutions, every member of the team is driven by a desire to make a difference to our community and, in this case, to our planet. To this end, we created EcoEd – the first app to combine education, gamification and interaction for all ages with the aim of revolutionising the field of environmental awareness, empowering people to make sustainable decisions in a fun, accessible way. Our brief came from Maria Soledad Riestra, from EcoEd Life, whose ongoing work and PhD research on our environment generated the idea for EcoEd. The game, which is free to download, can be played individually or in a group, with the end goal of collecting four different characters by answering eco trivia questions on energy, water, waste and health and wellbeing. During the game, you’ll also be given suggestions on how to live sustainably, gaining extra points if you share how you’re doing this in real life online. By creating EcoEd, OJO Solutions helped EcoEd Life to tap into the popular trend of gamification –taking the fun element of successfully completing a game and applying this to business in order to create greater levels of engagement. The concept is being used by companies in a multitude of ways, to drive sales, encourage learning and even to hire people. Research from technology company Gigya found that adding gamification to your site boosts commenting by 13 per cent, social sharing to Facebook, Twitter, and networks by 22 per cent and content discovering by a whopping 68 per cent. EcoEd is so much more than a game – it’s a one-stop shop for people to learn about sustainable products and services. In fact, there are many projects which would benefit from a way to keep users engaged and coming back for more. In many ways, EcoEd is so much more than a game – it’s a one-stop shop for people to learn about sustainable products and services. As players use the app, EcoEd can collect anonymous data to produce reports on gaps in environmental knowledge by age range and country, which can inform future awareness campaigns. At OJO Solutions, our mission is to help organisations better understand the way in which they can use technology to problem solve. That’s why we were proud to be announced as the winner of the Social Impact Award for our work on EcoEd at last year’s Techies (Tech awards for Swindon & Wiltshire), alongside a second award for the Most Innovative Tech Solution. There’s no doubt that climate change will continue to be an important topic. Just this month, the UN released its global biodiversity assessment which said that 25 per cent of animal and plant species are under threat of extinction. We hope that EcoEd will play its part, no matter how small, in helping to save the planet by changing perceptions and creating new sustainable living habits for the wide range of users accessing the game. Gamification presents a new opportunity for any number of businesses. If you want to know how you can make the most of it, we’re on hand to guide you through the process and co-create your new website or app. Contact us at [email protected] or by calling 01225 220155. For more info: www.ojosolutions.com www.ecoedlife.com 24 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2019 @ojosolutions