Kering announces the 4th edition of its Kering Generation Award in China
©Kering Generation Award
Kering, in partnership with innovation platform Plug and Play, has announced the 4th edition of its Kering Generation Award in China. This year’s theme, “Pioneering Water Positive Impact in Luxury” seeks to highlight once more sustainability-driven innovations in China’s fashion and beauty industries. Since its 2018 inception, the Kering Generation Award has championed sustainable startups in the region, with recent expansions to Japan and Saudi Arabia as well as the jewelry industry.
As climate change intensifies challenges like floods, droughts, and water scarcity, the award aims to spotlight start-ups and solutions that address water stewardship across the luxury value chain. The initiative builds on Kering’s groundbreaking commitment to biodiversity, first unveiled during COP16, when it became the world’s first company to set science-based freshwater targets.
This year’s edition proposes to explore innovation around water stewardship across the value chain of the luxury industry through 3 different sub-themes: “Rejuvenate Earth Water Ecosystem”, “Navigate Industry Water Risks” and “Enhance Consumers' Water Consciousness, and Transform Lifestyles”.
With a scouting process kicked off in January 2025, selection will be based on a variety of criteria such as innovation, tech maturity, potential for commercial success, social and environmental impact, and fashion relevance. The winners will be revealed during Shanghai Fashion Week in October 2025. The first prize winner will receive €100,000, with the top three finalists gaining access to Kering’s industry network, mentorship from sustainability experts, and a visit to Kering’s Paris headquarters. The laureates will also join an exclusive “Glaciers and Climate Change” polar study tour.
Aiming to empower young entrepreneurs, this edition's awards, will for the first time cooperate with Tsinghua X-lab, expanding the cooperation of industry, academia, and research. Tsinghua X-lab, as an educational platform for discovering and cultivating Tsinghua University's “Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship” talents, has gathered many hard science and technology startups and innovative talents from Tsinghua University.
