Entries opened today for the seventh edition of the Design Innovation Award. Promoted by the Italian Marine Industry Association (Confindustria Nautica ) and the Genoa International Boat Show, the program recognizes design excellence and innovation across the yachting sector, organizers announced.
The Design Innovation Award is divided into 11 product categories, along with special awards for Innovation, Career and Talent, and Honorable Mentions, with projects judged on design quality, innovation, sustainability, technical and scientific research, and their ability to interpret the evolution of contemporary yachting.
“The Design Innovation Award was created to recognize the value of innovation as a driving force for the development of the yachting industry,” Piero Formenti, president of the Italian Marine Industry Association, said in a statement. “Ever since its inception, Confindustria Nautica has sought to establish an award capable of expressing the sector’s values with authority, entrusting the assessment to an independent jury composed of international experts, which ensures expertise, rigor and impartiality.”
This year, there is a new category dedicated to components, alongside an existing category for accessories and equipment, organizers said, reflecting the award’s evolution and its aim to spotlight a segment considered strategic to the supply chain.
Winners will be announced Oct. 2 during the Genoa International Boat Show, which is scheduled for Oct. 1-6 in Genoa, Italy. All exhibitors are eligible to enter by submitting original products presented at the show that were produced within the past year.
Entries are due by Sept. 18.
