Well-Tech Award

Well-Tech Award, also known as “WT Award” , is an international award for technological innovation in design coordinated by the Well – Tech Architecture &Design Studio from Milan, Italy, in collaboration with the Municipality of Milan and the Polytechnic University of Milan.

The most relevant projects for technological innovation, sustainability, accessibility, and contribution to a better quality of life are selected by a committee formed by the members that sponsor the event and the President of Milan`s Provincial Authorities.

The winning projects are exhibited during Milan Furniture Fair event, also known as Milan Design Week.

History

Well -Tech Award carries out research and monitors technological innovations. It is the initiative of Well-Tech Architecture&Design Studio which started in 1999 as an organization based in Milan, Italy. It`s aim is to help various companies with innovative systems to fulfill rational and ecologically sustainable choices using technologies and materials with a low environmental impact.

The philosophy behind Well-Tech stands in “the recognition of ethical applications by both the designer and manufacturer, attempting to create a habitat that responds to functional necessities and, at the same time, respecting natural equilibrium.”

In 2013, Well-Tech initiated also Well-Tech Smart City Award, an international competition focused on urban and architecture projects for sustainable development.

Award Categories

The categories of Well-Tech Award are:

• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Quality of Life

Rules and regulation

Each candidate can propose from one to three technologies / products /projects for each category.

Each candidate has to pay a fee to enter the competition.

The ideas range from vehicles to home appliances from wearable to toys, from eco-friendly materials, to new forms of renewable energy.

Steps of Registration

Candidates must follow the steps on the official website. Once the registration process is successfully completed they receive an email notice. After receiving the complied format and the fee by bank transfer, they receive a confirmation e-mail.

Accessibility

• easy to use by vulnerable groups, elderly and disabled

• secure visibility and easy understanding of the components

• research and application of new ways to use the products and services

• qualitative values, functional and communicative product

Sustainability

• reduce consumption of materials and energy

• reduce waste throughout the life cycle of the product

• application of renewable energies and materials

• transformation of the mode of consumption as a function of reduced materials and energy

• continued investment and not just an episodic 'company on the content of sustainable development

• qualitative values functional and communicative product

Quality of Life

• applications of ergonomic parameters of materials and technologies that reduce the environmental impact

• applications of materials and technologies to optimize user comfort

• communicative product able to establish a relationship of empathy with the user

• appropriate use of materials and technology production system

Awards

The Awards consist in three First Prizes (one for each category: Accessibility - Sustainability – Quality of Life) and maximum six Honorable mentions.

Ceremony Award

The ceremony during which the Well-Tech Award winners are announced takes place during Milan Design Week in the Isimbardi Palace in Milan.

2014

First Prize

• Accessibility: Genny Mobility - Genny™ 2.0 Urban
• Quality of life: Robot Era Project - Robot Era system

Special Mentions Well-Tech Award

• Accessibility: Morph wheels - Morph Folding Wheelchair Wheel
• Sustainability: Electric Mobility Company, S.L. - Xkuty One
• Quality of Life: iCub team – iCub

2013

First Prize

• Sustainability: V3 Solar - V3 Solar Spin Cell
• Accessibility: Design Research Lab in Germany - Tom Bieling, Ulrike Gollner - Mobile Lorm Glove
• Quality of life: Water Sheer - Sulis PPD

Special Mentions Province of Milan

• Accessibility: Lau Shuk Man - Reach & Match
• Sustainability: Peter Horvàth – Biolamp
• Quality of Life: Lana Agiyan - Bubble Baby Bed

Special Mentions Well-Tech Award

• Accessibility: RSL Steeper - Bebionic 3
• Sustainability: Bombardier - Flexity 2
• Quality of Life: O'Sun - Alain Gilles - Nomad

2012

First Prize

• Sustainability: School of Design, Hunan University - Oil Cleaning Guard
• Accessibility: Todd Kuiken e il Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) - TMR
• Quality of life: True Energy Group - Sure Chill

Special Mentions Province of Milan

• Accessibility: Continuum - Leverage Freedom Chai
• Sustainability: Smart - E-Bike
• Quality of life: Gabriele Diamanti - Eliodomestico

Special Mentions Well-Tech Award

• Quality of Life: Embrace - Transport Infant Warmer

2011

First Prize

• Sustainability: Japan Science and Technology - Elastic Water
• Accessibility: Roadrunnerfoot Engineering - Walking MP Foot
• Quality of life: ThermaHelm Crash Helmet Limited - Halo Helmet

Special Mentions Province of Milan

• Accessibility: Tarta Design - Tarta
• Sustainability: LAVA- Masdar City
• Quality of Life: Politecnico di Milano, IPSIA “A. Ferrari” Maranello-Fabrizio Ceschin - MULO System

Special Mentions Well-Tech Award

• Accessibility: Aviya Serfaty - Outfeet
• Sustainability: Rem- Stilo
• Quality of Life: Lamiflex - Luca Schieppati design - Ciclotte

2010

First Prize

• Sustainability: Luxim Corporation - LiFi
• Accessibility: Frogdesign - Masileke Project HIV Home Test"I know my status"
• Quality of life: Julene Aguirre Bielschowsky Design - Sun Station

Special Mentions Province of Milan

• Accessibility: Samsung Design - Touch Sigh
• Sustainability: Habitare Art Design Srl – Egg (Ovetto)
• Quality of Life: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation - I-MIEV

2009

First Prize

• Sustainability: Brand Image - Paper Bottle
• Accessibility: Sungwoo Park - Voice Stick
• Quality of life: Philips Design - Off the Grid: Sustainable Habitat 2020

Special Mentions Province of Milan

• Accessibility: Chas. A Blatchford - KX06
• Sustainability: Oppent - Automatic Waste System
• Quality of Life: Magneti Marelli - Eco Navigation

Special Mentions Well-Tech Award

• Sustainability: Emker - BioWashBall

2008

First Prize

• Sustainability: Pelamis Wave Power - PELAMIS Wave Energy Converter
• Accessibility: Spidi Sport -DPS 03 Airbag
• Quality of life: Q-Drum - Q-DRUM

Special Mentions Province of Milan

• Accessibility: Associazione Nazionale Subvedenti -ROBOBRAILLE
• Sustainability: Artemide - SOLAR TREE
• Quality of Life: Alberto Meda - Francisco Gomez Paz - Solar Bottle

Special Mentions Well-Tech Award

• Accessibility: Centro Ricerche Fiat
• Sustainability: Ariostea

2007

First Prize

• Sustainability: Global Photonic Energy Corporation - Organic Photovoltaics Technology
• Accessibility: CRIM Lab - EMILOC
• Quality of life: d30 Lab - D30 Technology

Special Mentions Province of Milan

• Accessibility: Landscape Structures - Accessible Superscoop
• Sustainability: Citroen - C3 1.4 BI ENERGY M
• Quality of Life: Parans Daylight - PARANS

Special Mentions Well-Tech Award

• Accessibility: g.tec Medical Engineering - g.BCIys
• Sustainability: Invent - B.& C. - TECH-TILE
• Quality of Life: Fiat Group

2006

First Prize

• Sustainability: Konarka-Evident - Ultra High Performance Power Plastic
• Accessibility: Optobionics Corporation - ASR Device
• Quality of life: Vestergaard Frandsen - Life Straw

Special Mentions Region of Lombardy

• Sustainability: Vectrix Corporation - Vectrix Electric
• Quality of Life: Axana - GIOEL401, Trerè Innovation - X-Bionic Underwear

Special Mentions Well-Tech Award

• Accessibility: Johnson & Johnson Medical - EMBRACE HEART STABILIZER
• Sustainability: Citroen Italia - C3 STOP & START
• Quality of Life: Thebe - RAMSES 820 KRISTALL TOP

References

Well-Tech, [1], Retrieved July 1, 2014

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Well-Tech Award,[3], July 1, 2014

Well-Tech Event, http://www.well-tech.it/WTAward/WTevent.html, July 1, 2014

Well-Tech Winners [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Province of Milan(Italian) http://www.provincia.milano.it/economia/en/servizi_attivita/creativita_talenti/well_tech/, Retrieved July 1, 2014 http://www.modaeventiexpo.it/wt-award-2014-wt-smartcity-award-2014.shtml, Retrieved July 1, 2014

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Architetti(Italian), April 8, 2013 http://www.architetti.com/innovazione-tecnologica-e-architettonica-wt-award-lancia-il-premio-smart-city.html, Retrieved July 1, 2014

Fiorella C. (2014, “WT SmartCity Award 2014, il premio all'architettura più innovativa e sostenibile” , April 8, 2014, Non Solo Ambiente(Italian), http://www.nonsoloambiente.it/smart-city-2/324-wt-smartcity-award-2014-il-premio-all-architettura-piu-innovativa-e-sostenibile, Retrieved July 1, 2014

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CasaClima(Italian), http://www.casaeclima.com/ar_17658__TECH-Innovazioni-WT-Award-2014-Well-Tech-Design-e-innovazione-tecnologica-in-mostra.html, March 28, 2014

Urbis Screder, http://www.urbislighting.com/gbu-en/News/Pages/Perla-awarded-Honorable-Mention-at-WT-Award-in-Milan.aspx, Retrieved May 5, 2014

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