Nominations are now open for the sixth edition of the Design Innovation Award, which will be held in the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa on September 19. The awards are open to all exhibitors at the 65th Genoa International Boat Show (September 18-23) and applications must be submitted via the show’s official website by September 5.

Confindustria Nautica (Italian Marine Industry Association), promoter of the awards and the Genoa International Boat Show, describes the 10-category awards as “the most prestigious industry prize to be held in Italy”, with yacht sizes defined by hull length (LH).

This year’s categories are Sail, Motor or Inflatable Boats up to 10m; Sailing Boats up to 14m; Sailing Boats over 14m; Motorboats up to 14m; Motorboats over 14m; Superyachts (over 24m); Maxi RIBs (over 10m); Multihulls; Boating Equipment and Components; and Onboard Electronics and Software. There are also three special awards, for Outstanding Innovation, Outstanding Career and Outstanding Talent.

The awards have steadily grown from about 40 nominations in its first edition, in 2020, to an average of over 90 projects in each of the most recent editions.

Piero Formenti, President of Confindustria Nautica and I Saloni Nautici, organiser of the Genoa International Boat Show, said: “The Design Innovation Award is currently one of the most eagerly anticipated moments of the global boating scene.

“It provides a privileged observatory – not least because of the Italian boating sector’s leading role worldwide – and a respected platform to host an intersection of the visions, languages and technologies that will shape the future of the industry.”

Walter De Silva is President of this year’s jury, which is composed of international experts from the fields of boating, design and culture. A master of contemporary automotive design, De Silva kickstarted his career back in 1972 working for Centro Stile Fiat.

After heading the design department of the I.DE.A Institute under the direction of Renzo Piano – who designed Genoa’s recent waterfront redevelopment project – De Silva was recruited to become head of the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo in 1989.

From 1999 he headed design at SEAT, then the Audi Group (Audi, SEAT, Lamborghini), before working for Volkswagen Group from 2007-15. He then founded Walter De Silva Automotive, an independent automotive design consultancy firm. In 2011, he was awarded the Compasso d’Oro award for lifetime achievements, and has been nominated ‘Ambassador of Italian excellence worldwide’.

“I am thrilled to chair the jury of such a prestigious award, an award that aims to underline the importance of design, where innovation and design quality merge with sustainability and beauty,” De Silva said.

“A constant search for beauty becomes the inspiration behind creating something that comes to life from the spark of an idea, behind the craftsmanship of designers, engineers and technicians, who transform that idea into sculptures infused with a timeless style, the essence of Made in Italy design. The excellence of the Italian boating industry thus takes on the role of a point of reference for the promotion of Italian design and for spreading the core values of beauty around the world.”

salonenautico.com