SXSW Session Report #41 — Ocean Cleanup on the Front Lines: Innovative Technologies Taking on the Plastic Crisis

SXSW Session Report #41 — Ocean Cleanup on the Front Lines

This session focused on the problem of ocean plastic pollution. The Ocean Cleanup Foundation is working to remove plastic from the ocean. In the process, the team discovered that because plastic attracts oil-based contaminants, removing the plastic also removes oil pollution. However, scaling up any solution is a costly endeavor, which means the priority right now is improving the current system to make it more effective and cost-efficient. On the river project side, the plan is to complete the first 20 projects first, establish a solid foundation, and then scale up. The team is currently developing "System 3," themed around emotion, which is intended to serve as the blueprint for scale-up. The most important lessons learned through this process: persistence and the will to face adversity, hiring for aptitude, and always prioritizing the mission over short-term gains. Their goal is to design Ocean River and deliver an innovative solution to the ocean plastic problem.

Ocean River is the technology providing a solution to plastic pollution. By removing plastic, it also removes oil contamination. This year, the plan is to complete the first 20 river-front projects, with scale-up beginning the following year.

Hiring for Aptitude — A Core Principle Behind Ocean River

In developing Ocean River, hiring for aptitude is paramount. Young leaders need to prioritize a positive attitude over specialized expertise. Equally important is the resilience to confront adversity, and the willingness to change one's views when evidence contradicts what one would prefer to believe.

The most important lesson learned through the development of Ocean River — both about innovation and about leadership — is exactly this: the need to change one's thinking when confronted with evidence that contradicts what one wants to believe, and the importance of hiring for aptitude.

This event report was produced by TIMEWELL, an online assistant service.

Reference

Reference: https://one-x.jp/PMiwA1Mb/6oJowyTa

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