MICHELIN CHALLENGE DESIGN CELEBRATES TEN YEARS
AND ANNOUNCES THE 2012 DESIGN THEME
DETROIT (Jan. 10, 2011) — First introduced at the 2002 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), the Michelin Challenge Design program now celebrates its tenth year. The program celebrates its milestone by returning to the Auto Show with an exhibit displaying various forms of design innovation and examples of the partnerships necessary to make this kind of program a long-term success.
Created to recognize and support design by providing an opportunity for designers from all over the world to present their most interesting works at one of the world's premiere auto shows, the program has seen dramatic growth it its first decade.
Michelin Challenge Design has received nearly 3,000 entries over ten years. Participants have represented 98 countries. In this first year (2003 NAIAS) 17 of 125 submissions were selected to be displayed in the exhibit. This year, 34 works were selected out of a record 970 entries. While Michelin Challenge Design has doubled the works displayed, the number of submissions has increased by a whopping 729 percent. Pre-registration has started for the 2012 Michelin Challenge Design, and initial feedback indicates another record year is in store.
Repeat jurors, including Freeman Thomas, Ford Motor Company; David Marek, Honda R&D Americas; Gecza Loczi, Volvo Monitoring and Safety Center; Frank Saucedo, General Motors Advanced Design, say the quality of the work submitted for judging has increased each year as well.
The Michelin Challenge Design jury has included 40 judges from all over the automotive industry. Among the more than twenty organizations represented have been BMW Designworks, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan. Newcomers for 2011 included Phil Zak, Hyundai Americas Technical Center; Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla; and Anne Asensio, Dassault Systemes.
Interest from the design community that the program serves to support and encourage is evident by a 50 percent increase in the number of participating jurors from the 2003 to the 2011 juries. Stewart Reed, Chair of the Transportation Design Department at Art Center College of Design, participated first as juror and then as jury chairman, has been a part of every Michelin Challenge Design jury.
Michelin Challenge Design helps drive awareness of the growing importance of the role of design in vehicle development and the challenges that face the discipline. Bringing together top designers and transportation experts to review ideas and solutions from all over the world inspires these professionals in their studios.
In the first NAIAS display, Michelin Challenge Design focused on work from iconic and inspirational Italian designers. Then, the first theme paid homage to Michelin's home in France, as participants were challenged with creating design concepts that reflected the unique character of French design. Later design challenges looked at a possible future for vehicles in China and the influence of German design. In 2009, participants expressed their vision of America's iconic vehicle design under the theme: Brave + Bold.
Transportation and industry challenges explored through Michelin Challenge Design have included: solutions for alternative powertrains; vehicle-to-vehicle safety issues; safer fuel-efficient, smaller vehicles; and the future of electrifying vehicles.
A strong history of inspiring themes led to the 2011 Michelin Challenge Design theme "Plus 10: The Best is Yet to Come." For Michelin, the first ten years of the Michelin Challenge Design program are just the beginning.
The theme for 2012, being announced at NAIAS, is: City 2046: Art, Life and Ingenuity. In honor of Michelin's tradition of innovation, 2046 was chosen because it is the 100th anniversary of the radial tire.
With the 2012 Michelin Challenge Design, we are asking our participants to present their vision of city transportation for Paris, Shanghai, Mumbai, Rio de Janiero or Los Angeles for the year 2046. Each of these cities has a specific set of challenges, and disruptive innovation may be what we need to see to get transportation from the formula we use today to that of 2046.
Registration for the 2012 Michelin Challenge Design opened to the strongest response in Challenge's history. From the first week, submissions have exceeded the record-setting 2011 Michelin Challenge Design.
Participants in the 2012 competition will choose between Paris, Shanghai, Mumbai, Rio de Janiero or Los Angeles and design a personal, ground-based vehicle capable of transporting between 2 and 10 people. In selecting a city, the vehicle proposal must provide a solution to the transportation issues unique to that city.
Pre-registration and entry submission information is available at www.michelinchallengedesign.com.
About Michelin Challenge Design
Michelin Challenge Design (www.michelinchallengedesign.com) was launched in 2001 as a way to showcase creativity and innovation in vehicle design on a global scale around a central theme. Each year, Michelin invites designers around the world, from individuals to small and large companies, to create and display significant design work that would normally not have an opportunity to be shown at a major auto show.
About Michelin
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin (www.michelin.com) designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs approximately 20,900 and operates 18 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.
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For more information, visit www.MichelinMedia.com or contact:
Lynne Fowler
Michelin North America, Inc.
Office: 1 864 458 6365
Cell: 1 864 561 9914
lynne.fowler@us.michelin.com
Stephanie Brinley
EMC Strategic Communications
Office: 1-248-816-0108
Cell: 1-248-703-8172
stephanie@emcstrategic.com
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