• The theme of the fifth Audi Innovation Award for the Middle East is announced as ‘Circular’ and submissions are now open via https://audiinnovationaward.com/
• Deadline for designs to be submitted is 31st May 2020
• Winner to be announced in November 2020

Dubai, 9 March 2020 – ‘Circular’ has been announced as the theme for the fifth Audi Innovation Award and the website www.audiinnovationaward.com is now open for submissions. The competition, led by Audi Middle East, aims to empower regional designers while archiving intellectual progress, to create a new generation of change-makers in the region.

Designers in the Middle East are invited to submit their ideas and concepts to a specific brief to be in line for a once in a lifetime opportunity of mentoring, publicity and up to $25,000 investment in the winning innovation, as well as a trip to visit the Audi headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany. The deadline for designs to be submitted is 31st May 2020 and the winners will be announced in November.

The Audi Innovation Award seeks to stimulate regional discussion on the journey towards a sustainable future in the Middle East, through the innovative use of energy, resources, and through social awareness and the development of smart cities. Every year, the competition theme is inspired by the Audi brand. This year, the theme ‘Circular’ is rooted in the Audi global brand value of ‘Sustainability’.

When designing objects that enhance our lifestyles, designers globally are being summoned to reduce, reuse or recycle. Designing circularly means pushing ahead of the competition, by creating objects that combine all three to enhance our quality of life now, and in the future. From the brand that is consistently raising global benchmarks, the Audi Innovation Award invites designers living across the Middle East to submit design objects that are designed with circularity in mind, to lead the world into a sustainable industrial revolution.

A circular economy is the thoughtful and restorative process by which the materials and resources that make up a design are in use for as long as possible, whereby we extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, and recover and regenerate materials at the end of each product life, closing the circle. Submissions can be revisions of existing products in the market with improvements made to one or all aspects of its lifecycle, or an entirely new product considering circularity. No innovation in the design process is too small to make a large impact.

Carsten Bender, Managing Director of Audi Middle East, commented; “The fifth year of the Audi Innovation Award is a special milestone that signifies how this platform has grown in importance to the regional design community and the opportunities that are possible for those who are successful. Audi’s focus on progressiveness and innovative design perfectly resonates with our passion to inspire a new generation of designers for the future here in the Middle East.”

The three shortlisted candidates will be given $2,500 to present their concepts at a final showcase event and the winner will be presented with a trophy and the opportunity to visit the Audi factory in Ingolstadt, Germany.  In addition, Audi Middle East will award $25,000 worth of consultancy to the winner to cover items such as IP registration, legal counselling and business development. The brand with the Four Rings will also provide design advice and mentoring to develop and protect the winning idea.