Shell Ideas360 is a global competition run annually by Shell International Limited for university students to develop game-changing ideas for tackling energy, water and food issues around the world. It challenges students to conceive, share and collaboratively develop innovative ideas to help address these issues of global concern.

The 2014 competition is nearing its final stage and from nearly 700 initial ideas submitted by students from all over the world, a Monash University team has progressed to the final stage as one of only five finalists!

The Monash University team has been working on a 'Smart Water' system that measures and displays water use and associated costs, targeting areas with excessive water use. The system is comprised of small monitoring devices that can be attached on water taps in the house and is linked to a mobile device, which enables consumers to keep track of their water use.

With the help of Shell mentors and experts, the five finalist teams - from Australia, Canada, India, Singapore and The Netherlands - have developed their ideas into potentially investment-worthy business cases, leading up to the competition's final stage. Each will now pitch their idea to a panel of judges in Amsterdam on 14 May. They will also meet thought leaders, other innovators and representatives from business, NGOs and government from around Europe with whom they can exchange ideas and set up new partnerships.

On 15 May, the 2014 Shell Ideas360 winner will be announced at the Powering Progress Together forum, which will be held at the Shell Eco-marathon 2014 in Rotterdam. The winning team will embark on a once-in-a-lifetime National Geographic Expedition. The best ideas from the competition will also be considered for development funding by Shell’s GameChanger Programme, even if they are not selected to participate in the Shell Ideas360 final event.

Find out more about Shell Ideas360 and explore all the ideas submitted this year, learn more about the Monash University team: Innovative Engineers of Monash (IEM) or view their 'Smart Water' entry here.