The Well-Tech Award was the initiative of the founder of Well-Tech Architecture & Design Studio, Chiara Canton,[4] 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.[5]
Award Categories
Each year, Well-Tech awards prizes in the following three categories:
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.
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.