Bridge over river in Hampton Roads, Virginia

Past Resilience Challenges

In the past, we’ve challenged innovators worldwide to present scalable products and solutions that could be demonstrated in coastal Virginia, and later developed into economically viable businesses here, or elsewhere.

Past Resilience Challenges have covered a broad range of topics – everything from public safety and urban mobility to flood management, building protection and workforce development. Read more about our past topics below.

A car driving through flooded streets
Water Management

Cost-effective management of ground- storm- and/or tidal water, either as affordable short-term mitigations or low-maintenance long-term options in urban environments with high water tables.

Decorative image of graphs and charts
Data Analytics

Big data analytics, integration, and accessibility for multiple applications to help coastal community stakeholders maintain public safety, meet logistics needs, protect property, and enhance quality of life.

Flooded neighborhood after Hurricane Harvey in Houston, TX
Buildings Protection

Innovative solutions to maintain the viability of existing buildings facing different levels of flooding. For example, “rain bomb” detection, warning, and applications that can quickly safeguard buildings, as well as cost-effective protections against the higher frequency, lower magnitude recurrent flooding.

Fire hose with rushing water
Critical Systems Functionality

Portable systems deployable within 2 hours and able to provide 72 hours of continuous functionality to critical services.

Example of a vulnerable residential home
Disconnected Neighborhoods

Enhance the economic prosperity of low/moderate income urban neighborhoods which have been disconnected physically, economically and digitally from the rest of a thriving city.

Researchers testing water quality
Resilience Workforce

Innovative workforce development solutions that offer pathways to train, retrain, upskill, or re-skill workers, as well as connect them to the demands of employers around any of the five resilience topics described above.

Wave crashing over a jetty
Coastal Flood Management

Flooding issues create a critical need for cost-effective management of ground-, storm and /or tidal water in coastal communities. We’ve sought affordable short-term, low-maintenance and long-range solutions to improve stormwater infrastructure, seawall protection and beyond.

Packed urban streets
Urban Mobility

Automated, real-time flooding information in mobile apps and route guidance platforms are helping people, commercial drivers, emergency vehicles and public transportation systems navigate around the hazards and disruptions.

Our Current Challenge

Amid rising seas and an unsustainable national flood insurance strategy, flood-prone homeowners, businesses and renters need a better solution. This year, RISE is seeking Solution Builders whose ideas can reduce flood insurance premiums and payouts by 50%.