The goal of the Product Development Path Makers award is to recognize and highlight outstanding product development and the people behind it.
The award is presented by Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland TEK in collaboration with Aalto Design Factory, the City of Espoo, Technology Industries of Finland, Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, and Finnish Forest Industries. The jury consists of representatives from these organizations.
Anyone can submit a nomination. You may also nominate a project or initiative you have personally been involved in. Nominations are open until September 14, 2025, at: www.adf.fi/award
The award can be given to a project, experiment, initiative, or activity that has opened new opportunities and increased impact in product development. For example, it could be a pilot project that tested a new way of co-creating with users.
The award is granted to the project team or community that carried out the nominated project, experiment, initiative, or activity. The work must have taken place in Finland or the core team must have resided in Finland.
The jury will select the finalists. Each project that makes it to the finals will receive an €8,000 prize. Additionally, the winner of the public vote will receive the €8,000 Ekman Award, named after Professor Kalevi Ekman of Aalto University and founder of Aalto Design Factory.
TEK’s representative on the jury is Director of Public Affairs, Juhani Nokela.
The award was presented for the first time last year.
Learn more about last year’s winners: designfactory.aalto.fi/award (bottom of the page)