19.02.09
The Fennia Prize 2009 Grand Prix Awarded to Genelec Oy
(Press release 19 February 2009)
The winners of the Fennia Prize 2009 competition have been chosen. The Fennia Prize 2009 Grand Prix (€15,000) goes to Genelec Oy for the design of the Genelec 5040A subwoofer. Four Fennia Prizes of €5,000 each are awarded to Iittala/Iittala Group Oy Ab, Metso Automation Oy, Saas Instruments and Polar Electro Oy, and sixteen companies, altogether 18 products or product concepts have been chosen to receive honorary mentions.
The Fennia Prize 2009 Grand Prix goes to the Genelec 5040A active subwoofer, designed by industrial designer Harri Koskinen for Genelec, a trailblazing company in the field operating in Iisalmi. The compact design of this product differs from conventional solutions. Among other features, the speaker driver and controls are placed out of sight on the base of the device and the overall form is simplified and unassuming. The enclosure is made with a new manufacturing method employing deep-drawn steel and die-cast aluminium. The same form is repeated in miniature in the remote control unit. The properties of the subwoofer represent state-of-the-art technology.
The Fennia Prizes of 2009 go to Iittala/Iittala Group Oy Ab, Metso Automation Oy, Saas Instruments and Polar Electro Oy. The Iittala Group’s award-winning product is the innovative and widely noted Fireplace, an open-fire piece for tables, designed by the architect Ilkka Suppanen. Metso Automation Oy received its prize for the kajaaniPaperLab automatic paper-testing unit. The design of this concept is by the Kajaani product development group of Metso Automation in association with Exéns Development Oy and Koneistamo Alm Oy. Saas Instruments’ prize is for its Medusa lamp, created by designer Mikko Paakkanen. Employing LED technology of the latest generation and fibre optics, this bold product is in the interstice of art and lamp design. Polar Electro Oy was awarded its prize for the Polar FT80 training computer by designer Visa Rauta with ergonomic properties and detailed design representing the top achievements of its field. A prize sum of €5,000 goes to each recipient.
The Fennia Prize honorary mentions are awarded to 16 companies for a total of 18 products or product concepts. The recipients are: Arabia/Iittala Group Oy Ab, Kaipaus Finland Oy, Fiskars Brands Finland Oy Ab, Halti Oy, Isku Koti Oy, Kone Plc, Nokia Corporation, Pedro Oy, Planmed Oy, Planmeca Oy (two honorary mentions), Oras Oy, Pukkila Oy Ab, Realfina Oy, Rocla Plc (two honorary mentions), Rolls-Royce Oy Ab, Vivero Oy and Oras Oy. These companies represent a broad range of design in different sectors, such as tableware, furniture, metal products, interior design, clothing, medicine, high technology and fine mechanics.
The distinguished members of the Fennia Prize 2009 awards jury were CEO Antti Kuljukka of the Fennia Group as chairman, design expert CEO Deborah Dawton of the Design Business Association in London as the invited foreign member, and as members representing the design and business community CEO Mikko Kalhama of Design Forum Finland, Senior Officer Katri Lehtonen of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Designer (TKO) and Design DirectorJorma Pitkonen of ED-design, editor-in-chief Hannu Leinonen of the Kauppalehti newspaper, Senior Adviser Janica Ylikarjula of the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK and Senior Technology Adviser Janne Viemerö of Tekes – The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. Alongside high standard design, evaluation criteria included usability, environmental and social responsibility and impact on business.
Fennia Prize – Good design grows global is a design competition for businesses. It is open to firms and companies making designed products or using design in other ways in their business. Held biennially, the competition includes two series: Product Design and the Open Series. Entries for the latter can include, for example, business or service concepts and environments. The awards of the competition are the Fennia Prize Grand Prix, individual Fennia Prizes and Fennia Prize Honorary Mentions. Prize-winners are entitled to participate in the Fennia Prize exhibition and its tour and are included in the exhibition catalogue. The competition is organized by Design Forum Finland. The prize sums are donated by the Fennia Group. The Kauppalehti business newspaper is the media associate of the competition.
The international Fennia Prize 2009 Seminar will be held on Thursday 19 February at Finlandia Hall from 1.30 to 4.15 p.m. The keynote speakers will be business and design expert Deborah Dawton, CEO of the Design Business Association, and Professor Birgit Mager of the University of Cologne, a pioneering figure in the field of service design. Following the seminar, the award ceremonies will be held at Finlandia Hall at 5 p.m. For more information and the seminar programme, see www.designforum.fi/fenniaprize
THE FENNIA PRIZE 2009 EXHIBITION 20 February–29 March 2009
Design Forum Finland, Erottajankatu 7, Helsinki
Mon. –Fri. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sun. Noon–17
Exhibition information: tel. +358 (0)9 6220 8132 – Free entrance
Information: Aila Kolehmainen, tel. +358 (0)9 6220 8121 and +358 (0)41 538 7533, aila.kolehmainen@designforum.fi
Competitions and awards: Tuula Laulajainen, tel. +358 (0)9 6220 8110 and (+358 (0)50 341 6308, tuula.laulajainen@designforum.fi
Visual materials: Piritta Hannonen, tel. +358 (0)9 6220 8122, piritta.hannonen@designforum.fi
