Fennia Prize 2007 Grand Prix to Rocla
The winners of the renewed Fennia Prize 2007 competition have been chosen. The main prize, the Fennia Prize 2007 Grand Prix (€ 15,000) goes to Rocla Plc for the design of the Humanic reach truck. Fennia Prizes of € 5,000 each were awarded to four companies: Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy, Halti Oy, PlusArkkitehdit and PaloDEx Group Oy (Instrumentarium Dental). In addition, 16 companies received the Fennia Prize Honorary Mentions.
The Humanic reach truck which was awarded the Fennia Prize 2007 Grand Prix involved product development and design taking users as their starting point. Four years ago, Rocla Plc gave design an important strategic role in the company and employed an in-house designer. According to Design Manager Petteri Masalin, the prime considerations of design are usability, dependability, simplicity and functionality. The prize jury maintained that all these properties are realized with insight in the design of the prize-winning, user-friendly Humanic reach truck.
The Fennia Prize 2007 was awarded to four companies. Intended for adult students, the Flip chair and desk, which are stackable and can be joined in rows are made by the Huonekalutehdas Korhonen furniture company. Halti Oy’s prize-winning products were the ergonomic Gompa and Fiber jackets and the Green backpack, representing new production technology. PaloDEx Group Oy’s Ortopantomograph®OP200D- and Ortoceph®OC200D dental x-ray equipment received the Fennia Prize 2007 for their design and technical properties. The PlusArkkitehdit firm of architects received the Fennia Prize in the Open Series for its service concept for the single-family house and leisure home market. All four prizes entail a sum of € 5,000.
The selection of the prize-winners was carried out by a jury of distinguished representatives of design, media and the business community, including M.Sc.Pol. Hannu Ketola as chairman, designer Kristiina Lassus of Alessi as the jury’s Guest Member, and Design Forum Finland CEO Mikko Kalhama
The high level of the use of design by companies participating in the competition is shown by the fact that honorary mentions were awarded to 16 companies: Design House Idoli Oy, Finnzymes Oy, GE Healthcare Finland Oy, Hanna Korvela Design Oy, Lundia Oy, Marimekko Plc, Nokia Corporation, Nokia Corporation Networks, original habitek works, Rocla Plc, Suunto Oy, TAG Heuer S.A., Tulikivi Plc, Ursuk Oy/Suunto, Vivero Oy and YTV – the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council. The award-winning companies and their products and concepts represent a wide range of design in various sectors of industry and the fields of furniture, interior design, textiles, medicine, high technology, precision mechanics, tourism and public transport.
Fennia Prize – Good design grows global is a design competition for firms and companies. It is open to enterprises making designed products or using design in other ways in their business. There are two series in the competition, the Product Design Series and the Open Series. The latter includes, for example, business and service concepts and environments. The Fennia Prize Grand Prix, individual Fennia Prizes and Fennia Prize honorary mentions are awarded in the competition. Awards include participation in the Fennia Prize exhibition, its tour of different venues and inclusion in the exhibition catalogue. The competition is arranged by Design Forum Finland. The prize sums are donated by the Fennia Group. The Kauppalehti newspaper is the competition’s media partner in 2007.
THE FENNIA PRIZE 2007 exhibition 16 February – 1 April 2007
Design Forum Finland, Erottajankatu 7, Helsinki
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