Background

2008 In order to accelerate the development of industrial design in Hunan and improve the innovation ability of enterprises, the “Lotus Prize” International Industrial Design and Innovation Competition whose theme is “innovation, harmony, value” was held successfully by the Hunan Provincial Government. With the effort of the organizing committee, the competition attracted special attention from native and foreign designers, and powerful support from corporations in Hunan province, accepting 2802 works for Group A (students and individual designers) and 66 works for Group B (enterprises ) from 8 countries. The chairman of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, Mr. Carlos, and 7 other experts came in person to choose the award winners. There were 18 prize-winning works in group A and 5 Corporation Innovation Prizes in group B. During the awards ceremony, the governor of Hunan province, Mr Zhou Qiang, the deputy secretary of CPC Mr Mei Kebao the vice-governor Mr Guo Kailang and other government leaders met with the jury members and guests, and attended the exhibition and forum activities. The LotusPrize Portfolio was handed to Premier Wen Jiabao. The winning works were promoted on the website of the International Council of Industrial Design. The competition accelerated the cooperation and exchange between our enterprises and design organizations from home and abroad.
2010 This year should be a key point for the national innovation system, central government, ministries and commissions and local government to speed up investment and policy-mandated cultural creative industry, tourism industry, information industry and other emerging industries. Premier Wen Jiabao said in a government’s work report:“The service industry should be accelerated, the proportion of the service industry in the national economy should be increased; the service industries such as finance, logistics, information, research, energy-saving and environmentally-friendly industrial design, business, must develop rapidly, and we should accelerate the merging of the service industry and modern manufacturing. The Ministry of Industry and Information and 11 other ministries and commissions will issue “the guiding opinion for promoting industrial design’s
development”; it shows that government at all levels attaches importance to promoting industrial design’s development, and wants to enhance the innovation ability of new industrialized process and the binding abilities of culture and tourism industry, information industry, entertainment and communication industry and other creative industries. The merging of technology, humanities and art will create new business models, markets and lifestyle. As the experimental area of “Two-oriented (energysaving and environment-friendly) society”, “3G integration”, the development of new industrialization, informationization, cultural creativity and tourism industries and low carbon-economy in Hunan province will have new opportunities. According to the request of Hunan provincial party secretary Zhou Qiang, the “LotusPrize” will be held every 2 years, this year will be the second time. In order to better organize this competition, the Hunan Science and Technology Bureau has prepared the competition very seriously, and studied opinions and ideas from related governments and companies on the basis of the successful experiences of the first competition. It also communicated with related international organizations and experts to plan and promote the competition. Compared with the first edition, this year’s “LotusPrize” will emphasize the participation of companies, the merging of design and industry, and the international promotion of design works presented in the competition.

Themes

Smart Living:”Gorgeous Regional Culture” is the source of inspiration, and the intelligent digital technology and networks show us the wonderful future of social innovation. We look forward to designs that combine technology and culture, creating a new and smart lifestyle for humans.
Harmony and innovation:Exploiting new energies and advocating low-carbon life are the required attributes of future design. We advocate design for sustainable development,and we should make a contribution towards building an “energy-conserving and environment-friendly society”.

Entry objects

There are two groups according to different entry objects: “Open group” for individual designers and “Enterprise group” for enterprises.
Participants for the “Open group” are:
(1) Chinese or international students and teachers majoring in design.
(2) Individual designers from an enterprise or design company.
(3) Other industrial design enthusiasts.
“Enterprise group” are: Enterprises in Hunan province (including joint ventures and private enterprises in Hunan).

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