Announcing the five laureates of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise

Owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a charitable trust established in 1960, Rolex stands out as a pioneering example of reimagining traditional business practices. For nearly a century, Rolex has backed intrepid explorers who push the boundaries of human achievement. While initially focusing on exploration for the sake of discovery, the company shifted its focus to protecting the planet with a long-term commitment to support individuals and organisations that leverage science to tackle today’s environmental and social challenges.

This commitment is epitomised by the Perpetual Planet Initiative, launched in 2019, which encompasses the Rolex Awards for Enterprise. Alongside long-standing partnerships with entities such as Mission Blue and the National Geographic Society, Rolex collaborates with newer organisations such as Coral Gardeners, totalling more than 30 partners.

A cornerstone of the Perpetual Planet initiative, the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, established in 1976, have supported projects in the field of science and technology, endangered ecosystems and species preservation, as well as preserving culture and improving the living standards in developing countries.

The concept of perpetual time offers a more rounded alternative to linear time, representing an infinite and unending continuum. While perpetual motion remains elusive without an external energy source, Rolex Perpetual calibres come remarkably close to achieving this state. This foundational principle drives the foundation’s commitment to preserving cultures and safeguarding the planet for future generations.

Two Africans are among this year’s five laureates who each receive CHF200,000 towards their projects.

Beth Koigi, since co-founding her start-up in Kenya in 2017, has developed solar-powered atmospheric water generators capable of producing over 200,000 litres of clean water a month for more than 1,900 people. The potential impact of her innovative technology is far-reaching as the young social entrepreneur looks to expanding the project by providing generators to harvest clean water from air to 3,000 people in 10 communities in a country where half the population has no access to potable water.

Primatologist Inza Koné has been working with fellow Côte d’Ivoirians to turn the Tanoé-Ehy Forest into a community-managed natural reserve. The Rolex Award will enable Koné to continue preserving its outstanding biodiversity, promoting community management and sustainable livelihoods in the region. While protecting a richly biodiverse forest, the project also safeguards its endangered fauna and reduces poverty in the area.

Peruvian laureate, biologist Constantino Aucca Chutas is working to upscale his community-centred forest ecosystem restoration and protection project in the high Andes. Indonesian social entrepreneur Denica Riadini-Flesch is expanding her regenerative farm-to-closet clothing supply chain, strengthening women's empowerment and preserving local cultures. Chinese remote sensing specialist, Liu Shaochuang will be furthering his studies of the habitats of wild camels in the Gobi Desert regions of China and Mongolia with aims to create two new conservation reserves to save the last remaining wild herds.

Emphasising the inseparable connection between humans and nature, these remarkable laureates and their purpose-driven initiatives serve as lighthouses of hope and significant catalysts for transitioning towards a more just and sustainable, intertwined future for people and planet.