The Well-Tech Award, also known as the “WT Award”, is an international award for technological innovation in design coordinated by Well-Tech Architecture & Design Studio in Milan, Italy, in collaboration with "Città metropolitana di Milano" and the Polytechnic University of Milan. The winning projects are selected by a committee of members from the event's sponsors, and the president of Milan Città Metropolitana authorities. The projects are exhibited during the Milan Furniture Fair event, also known as Milan Design Week.Steward L. (2009) ”Milan 2009: The Best of the Well-Tech Awards), Inhabitat, April 27, 2009, http://inhabitat.com/milan-2009-best-of-the-well-tech-awards/, Retrieved July 1, 2014 The projects represent technological innovation, sustainability, accessibility, and contribution to a quality of life.
History The Well-Tech Award was the initiative of the founder of Well-Tech Architecture & Design Studio, Chiara Canton, which opened in 1999 in Milan. The purpose of the award is to highlight ecologically sustainable systems that other companies can incorporate into their businesses.
In 2013, Well-Tech also started the Well-Tech SmartCity Award, an international competition focused on urban architecture projects for sustainable development.
Award Categories Each year, Well-Tech awards prizes in the following three categories:
Accessibility Sustainability Quality of Life
Participants may submit up to three entries in each category. Examples of past submissions include ideas ranging from vehicles to home appliances, from clothing to toys, from eco-friendly materials to new forms of renewable energy.
Evaluation criteria
The Well-Tech Award annually selects sixty products that represent the best in technological innovation to improve quality of life, with particular attention to issues of sustainability and accessibility.
Accessibility criteria Source: 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 products and services qualitative values, functional and communicative of the product
Sustainability criteria Source: 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 of the product
Quality of Life criteria Source: 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 in the production system
Well–Tech Award Event Each year, top products and projects submitted are showcased during the Milan Design Week. The event is organized by Well-Tech Architecture & Design Studio in collaboration with Milano Città Metropolitana. Each of the three categories has one first-place winner. In addition, up to six honorable mentions may be awarded.
Well-Tech Award winners The following table show the category of the winning award, the company, institution or individual that designed the product, and the winning product. +YearWinnersHonorable Mentions2018Accessibility: Whill - Whill Wheelchair Sustainability: Tenax International - Electra 2.0 NEO Quality of life: Smart Street - Salva PedoneAccessibility: Wallcovering Pubblicità - TrialSystem Accessibility: Spark Design & Innovation - Lea-Care Robot Sustainability: Nieder - Wavin Metal Sustainability: Epson Italia - EcoTank and Rips Printers Quality of life: De'Longhi Appliances - Air Purifier, heater, cooling fan2016Accessibility: Maxime Dubreucq and Robert Provó Kluit - Trompe Sustainability: Arturo Vittori - Warka Water Tower Quality of life: Julian Melchiorri - The Silk LeafAccessibility: Alec Momont - Ambulance drone Sustainability: Donal Vitez - Robo-Washer Revolution Quality of Life: Jordane Vernet - Steribox2014Accessibility: Genny Mobility - Genny™ 2.0 Urban Quality of life: Robot Era Project - Robot Era system Sustainability: SafetyNet Technologies - Safety NetAccessibility: Morph wheels - Morph Folding Wheelchair Wheel Sustainability: Electric Mobility Company, S.L. - Xkuty One Quality of Life: iCub team - iCub Accessibility: Wheeldesign - Kigali Chair Project Sustainability: Schreder - Perla LED Lamp2013Accessibility: Design Research Lab in Germany - Tom Bieling, Ulrike Gollner - Mobile Lorm Glove Sustainability: V3 Solar - V3 Solar Spin Cell Quality of life: Water Sheer - Sulis PPDAccessibility: Lau Shuk Man - Reach & Match Sustainability: Peter Horvàth – Biolamp Quality of Life: Lana Agiyan - Bubble Baby Bed Accessibility: RSL Steeper - Bebionic 3 Sustainability: Bombardier - Flexity 2 Quality of Life: O'Sun - Alain Gilles - Nomad2012Accessibility: Todd Kuiken and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) - TMR Sustainability: School of Design, Hunan University - Oil Cleaning Guard Quality of life: True Energy Group - Sure ChillAccessibility: Continuum - Leverage Freedom Chair Sustainability: Smart - E-Bike Quality of life: Gabriele Diamanti - Eliodomestico Quality of Life: Embrace - Transport Infant Warmer2011Accessibility: Roadrunnerfoot Engineering - Walking MP Foot Sustainability: Japan Science and Technology - Elastic Water Quality of life: ThermaHelm Crash Helmet Limited - Halo HelmetAccessibility: Tarta Design - Tarta Sustainability: LAVA - Masdar City Quality of Life: Politecnico di Milano, IPSIA “A. Ferrari” Maranello-Fabrizio Ceschin - MULO System Accessibility: Aviya Serfaty - Outfeet Sustainability: Rem - Stilo Quality of Life: Lamiflex - Luca Schieppati design - Ciclotte2010Accessibility: Frogdesign - Masiluleke Home HIV Test Project: "I know my status" Sustainability: Luxim Corporation - LiFi Quality of life: Julene Aguirre Bielschowsky Design - Sun StationAccessibility: Samsung Design - Touch Sight Sustainability: Habitare Art Design Srl – Egg (Ovetto) Quality of Life: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation - I-MIEV2009Accessibility: Sungwoo Park - Voice Stick Sustainability: Brand Image - Paper Bottle Quality of life: Philips Design - Off the Grid: Sustainable Habitat 2020Accessibility: Charles A. Blatchford - KX06 Sustainability: Oppent - Automatic waste system Quality of Life: Magneti Marelli - Eco Navigation Sustainability: Emker - BioWashBall2008Accessibility: Spidi Sport - DPS 03 Airbag Sustainability: Pelamis Wave Power - Pelamis Wave Energy Converter Quality of life: Q-Drum - Q-DRUMAccessibility: Associazione Nazionale Subvedenti - RoboBraille Sustainability: Artemide - Solar tree Quality of Life: Alberto Meda - Francisco Gomez Paz - Solar Bottle Accessibility: Centro Ricerche Fiat Sustainability: Ariostea2007Accessibility: CRIM Lab - EMILOC Sustainability: Global Photonic Energy Corporation - Organic Photovoltaics Technology Quality of life: d30 Lab - D30 TechnologyAccessibility: Landscape Structures - Accessible Superscoop Sustainability: Citroen - C3 1.4 BI ENERGY M Quality of Life: Parans Daylight - PARANS Accessibility: Medical Engineering - Sustainability: Invent - B.& C. - TECH-TILE Quality of Life: Fiat Group2006Accessibility: Optobionics Corporation - ASR Device Sustainability: Konarka-Evident - Ultra High Performance Power Plastic Quality of life: Vestergaard Frandsen - Life StrawSustainability: Vectrix Corporation - Vectrix Electric Quality of Life: Axana - GIOEL401 Quality of Life: Trerè Innovation - X-Bionic Undergear Accessibility: Johnson & Johnson Medical - Embrace heart stabilizer Sustainability: Citroen Italia - C3 Stop & Start Quality of Life: Theben - Ramses 820 Kristall® top
References