I want to be inspired by global problems

You can draw inspiration for developing new sustainable products from the UN's eight Millennium Development Goals, which aim to eradicate the world’s most pressing problems.

Among other things, the idea is for the countries of the world to achieve the following by 2015:

• Halve the number of poor in the world
• Provide basic education for all
• Promote equal opportunities and strengthen women’s rights
• Reduce child mortality
• Reduce the risk of women dying in childbirth
• Halt the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases that threaten humanity
• Bring about environmentally-friendly and sustainable development
• Build a global partnership for development

Although progress has been made, especially in India, China and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Africa is still lagging behind and is unlikely to achieve these targets by 2015.

Need for know-how from many different industries
Plenty of business opportunities therefore exist for companies in virtually every industry.

For instance do you sell a product or service that can help people in the world's slums to insulate their homes better?

Can you invent a system that can help poor farmers get the best prices for their crops?

Or do you have an idea for new sources of income for fishermen losing their livelihoods as a result of rising sea temperatures?