An international event that sets the course for the future of design and ambitiously aims to establish new standards of excellence within this sector. This is how the prestigious DesignEuropa Awards, created by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), can be summed up.
The upcoming award ceremony, scheduled for Tuesday, September 5th at 11:30, at the Museum of Communication in Berlin, will cast its spotlight on eight finalists hailing from seven European nations: Austria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Slovenia. The gamut of finalist creations spans across diverse sectors, encompassing coffee culture, appliances, office furnishings, retail logistics, culinary arts, mobility solutions, sporting innovations, all sharing an emphasis on sustainability and social impact.
The event will also feature the presentation of the lifetime achievement award to Maria Benktzon, a prominent Swedish designer renowned across Europe and the world for her innovative, ergonomic, and user-friendly designs of household objects. Many of her creations have become symbols of inclusive design, including tools designed to assist disabled individuals in independent living, such as crutches, walking sticks, personal hygiene aids, and a set of knives designed for arthritic hands.
Once again this year, the awards have been categorized into two distinct groups. The Small and Emerging Companies category, which commends exceptional projects from small and newly established companies regardless of their size, has selected the following finalist projects: Jarsty (Italy), an all-in-one microwavable cooking system; Mindful Design Coffee Brewer (Austria), a pour-over filter coffee set; RemigoOne (Slovenia), an integrated electric outboard motor; and ZigZag Boulder (Hungary), a modular outdoor climbing wall system. In the Industry category, which acknowledges proposals from large and medium-sized companies, the finalists are: Cleveron 402 (Estonia), an automated self-service pick-up point for click-and-collect orders; Full Automatic Espresso Coffee Machine (Italy), a coffee machine capable of grinding coffee beans and preparing up to seven different types of coffee; The Performer MOVO (Croatia), a compact workspace for remote working; and WithME (Poland), a collaborative office chair offering advanced ergonomics with minimal adjustments.
Christian Archambeau, the Executive Director of EUIPO, emphasized, "The DesignEuropa Awards highlight the effective use of design and how its protection can help drive economic, social, cultural and environmental development. Furthermore, we have the opportunity to acknowledge eight impressive finalists from the Industry and Small and Emerging Companies sector as well as the work of Maria Benktzon through the Lifetime Achievement Award. Maria’s innovative, ergonomic and consumer-friendly designs of household objects have been essential in demonstrating that design for all and universal design creates improved environments that benefit everyone."
The jury for the DesignEuropa Awards, chaired by Isabelle Vérilhac, former President of the Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA) and Director of Innovation and International Affairs for the UNESCO City of Saint-Étienne, comprises entirely of design professionals, academics, entrepreneurs, former laureates, and intellectual property experts. This esteemed panel elevates the award's prestige, solidifying its place in the international industrial design calendar.
More information on http://designeuropaawards.eu/
The European Union Intellectual Property Office is the agency of the European Union (EU) responsible for managing the EU trade mark and the registered Community design, European and international cooperation in the field of intellectual property (IP), as well as the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights.
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