The DesignEuropa Awards 2026 marked their 10th anniversary in Ljubljana, bringing together designers, companies and emerging talent from across Europe. Organised by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the Awards recognise design excellence while highlighting the wider role of design in innovation, competitiveness, business growth and quality of life, as well as the importance of protecting design through intellectual property rights.

CLF Growth Container by Carbon Less Future

The Entrepreneurs and Small Companies Award went to CLF Growth Container by Carbon Less Future from Latvia. Its recognition places an entrepreneurial design project at the centre of this year’s awards and reflects the DesignEuropa Awards’ broader focus on design as a driver of innovation, business development and new approaches to contemporary challenges.

NOHRD StepTower by WATERROWER | NOHRD

The Industry Award was presented to NOHRD StepTower by WATERROWER | NOHRD from Germany, representing the industrial dimension of this year’s selection and the role design plays in the development of products, companies and everyday experiences. Together with the Entrepreneurs and Small Companies category, the award highlights the breadth of European design, from growing businesses to established manufacturers.

Philippe Starck receives the Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Philippe Starck, recognising one of the most internationally recognised figures in contemporary design. Across a career spanning different fields and scales, Starck has helped broaden the understanding of what design can encompass, with work extending across product design, furniture, interiors, architecture and other areas. His recognition in the 10th-anniversary edition places an influential career alongside the projects and designers shaping European design today.

Maria Gil represents the next generation

The Next Generation Design Award went to Maria Gil, a Polish furniture and lighting designer whose work explores the relationship between cultural identity, design history and contemporary innovation. A graduate of Product and Furniture Design at the University of the Arts London, Gil later studied at Accademia di Brera in Milan, an experience that encouraged her to reconnect with her own cultural heritage and led to Post War Drobe, her graduate project exploring an alternative vision of a Polish postmodern design movement. After briefly returning to Warsaw, she moved back to Milan, where she is currently based. Her research-led practice combines concept, craftsmanship and industry; she currently works as a freelance furniture designer for Nicoletti Home, was selected to exhibit at Salone Satellite in 2024, and has been featured in publications including the Financial Times, Vogue Living, Elle Decoration and Dezeen.

Slovenian finalist Pet Shell

For the host country, the 2026 edition also brought particular relevance through Pet Shell, a Slovenian finalist in the Entrepreneurs and Small Companies category. Its inclusion among the finalists placed Slovenian design within the wider European selection at an anniversary edition held in Ljubljana and brought a local dimension to an awards programme centred on contemporary design from across Europe.

Showee wins the Public Choice Award

The 2026 edition also introduced the Public Choice Award, inviting the wider public to engage directly with the selected projects. The first Public Choice Award went to Showee, adding a new participatory dimension to the DesignEuropa Awards and extending recognition beyond the professional design community.

Ten years of European design

The 2026 edition marked the 10th anniversary of the DesignEuropa Awards, celebrating a decade of European design through the work of this year’s winners and finalists. Beyond recognising individual achievements, the Awards underline the wider role of design in driving innovation, strengthening businesses, improving products and everyday experiences, and contributing to quality of life, while also emphasising the importance of protecting design through intellectual property rights. The 2026 programme also introduced the Public Choice Award, won by Showee, creating another way for the wider design community and public to engage with the selected projects. Following the anniversary edition in Ljubljana, the DesignEuropa Awards will continue in Prague in 2027.