Creative technology agency S1T2 only Australian innovator picked for global Launch Food Program

Creative technology agency S1T2 has been selected as one of twelve innovators to be involved in the global Launch Food program. As the sole candidates selected from the Launch Legends Challenge, S1T2 will work with Launch, SecondMuse and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to develop a creative technology experience to inspire cultural movements that bring pride back to traditional healthy eating within targeted sites in the Pacific Islands.

After putting out a call to innovators around the world for solutions that would broaden access to nutritious food and improve health outcomes by promoting healthier food choices, the Launch network considered nearly 300 applications from across 74 countries in the process of deciding who would be included in the Food Innovators list.

S1T2’s inclusion is particularly notable, as they represent the only Launch Legends innovators chosen from Australia, and were selected after an intensive review process, rating innovators for their potential impact on health outcomes, technical viability and more. Their contribution in particular is focused on finding solutions that utilise storytelling through emerging technologies to the benefit of public health.

As Launch Legends, S1T2 will work to develop cutting-edge experiences in virtual and augmented reality that will promote healthier and more sustainable living in the Pacific Islands. Their work will add to the range of solutions developed by the other eleven Food Innovators chosen from the Launch Food Challenge.

S1T2’s Tash Tan describes how important the mission is for communities in the Pacific and the rest of the world.

Says Tan: “Obesity is a global concern that we have a burden of responsibility to address, and if we can use our expertise to make even the smallest of changes then it is an endeavour worth pursuing. Through storytelling in new technologies such as virtual reality we have the ability to communicate intimate experiences. Our goal is to use these experiences to inspire cultural change in the right way.”

As part of the program, Tan will be attending the Launch Food Forum in San Francisco this March to collaborate with fellow Launch members on how to collectively understand and address the issues of food and health. Throughout and following this event, S1T2 will work with members of the Launch community to develop and scale their innovations to effect meaningful change across the Pacific region.