In parallel to the COP21
… Les folles inventions de la POC21

An accelerator of solutions

If the COP21 were a festival, the POC21 would be its "off" version (such as in the Avignon Festival). It was created by two groups, Oui Share and Open State, which strive to create a collaborative society. The POC21 is heterogeneous and gathers scientists, engineers, designers and hackers from all over the world.

By choosing a mirrored name, the movement wishes to show that energetic transition is not a question to be left to the governments alone. But the name is not a simple cute wink: it is also the acronym of "Proof of Concept". In scientific terms, this means the testing of a prototype. This is almost a manifesto: the aim is to work in favour of sustainable development by offering innovative and accessible solutions or everyone.

As such, voluntaries of the POC21 did not just sit around! These handymen were gathered for 5 weeks during the summer 2015 in the Castle of Millemont, close to Paris, to create eco-friendly and easy-to-use technologies. The association Zero Waste, specialised in the issue of wastes, came to the rescue. They designed all necessary infrastructures for a zero-waste camp with dry toilets, compost, solar-powered showers, unconditioned hygiene products, etc. Even food, which was guaranteed 100% vegan, matched the spirit of a less polluting diet.

Theory to practice

The POC21 draws inspiration from Palomar 5, a event set up in 2009 by Open State. At the time, participants, engineers and designers with a eco-friendly point of view already gathered in order to think over innovative and clean solutions for the planet. But they did not reach the step of actual implementation of projects. In order to pass the step during the POC21, a 950,000 euros investment was necessary. Partners (companies, public powers, local institutions) of the event financed it in capital or material.

The spirit of the POC21 follows a broader trend born in California in 2005: the "maker movement", even more known as the "Do It Yourself" movement. British journalist Chris Anderson described it as the "new industrial revolution". According to him, its aim is to reduce the industrialised and disposable part of our consumption through DIY and homemade.

The concept of sharing

Among the 200 offers initially presented to the organisers of the POC21, only 12 were chosen. They became open source prototypes, ie prototypes free of any intellectual property and open to reproduction and modification. "Sexy as Apple, open as Linux" sums up Benjamin Tinq, cofounder of OuiShare.

Among the chosen projects, a water filter that can be printed in 3D for 1 Euro, a wind turbine for 30 Euros, an urban vegetable garden kit, a solar generator accessible to everyone, a shower able to recycle water endlessly, and so on. The attendance at Château Millemont closed in late September. But the POC21 continued in showrooms and workshop teaching how to build tools. During the COP21 -the real and official one - prototypes were presented in various locations of the exhibition in Paris and its suburbs. The POC21 movement thus hopes to raise awareness, inspire manufacturers and... start the green revolution.

Photo credit: © POC21