Valencia hosts the National Innovation and Design Awards 2019

The Príncipe Felipe Museum at the City of Arts and Sciences has been the exceptional setting chosen for the most important event of the year within the design sector: the official presentation by their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain of the National Innovation and Design Awards, which this year have been won by three Valencian professionals and companies. They were accompanied at the ceremony by Pedro Duque, the Minister of Science and Innovation.

The presence of their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain in Valencia represents a recognition of the Valencian contribution to Spanish design and the naming of Valencia as World Design Capital in 2022, a project that attests to the excellence of Valencian design.

“If we are celebrating these awards here today it is thanks to the innovative spirit that has always impregnated Valencian society, as well as its passion for design, which has made this great city of Valencia worthy of being named by the World Design Organization as World Design Capital 2022. So, many congratulations to all those who have worked to achieve this important accomplishment,” commented his Majesty the King.

For Pedro Duque, Minister of Science and Innovation, “with innovation and design alone, we can confront the most immediate challenges that we face as a society. Applied knowledge is an industrial driving force and creates qualified and better paid jobs. Now is the time to invest in knowledge and innovation, to be a more avant-garde and modern country with regard to innovation,” he confirmed.

Among the Valencian awards for 2019, in the Innovation category the prize for ‘Great Company’ was granted to Porcelanosa Grupo AIE whilst, in the field of Design, the work of Marisa Gallén was recognised in the ‘Professionals’ category and the company Point in that of ‘Companies’.

Together with these names, the highest national awards were received by Ignacio Sánchez Galán, National Innovation Award 2019 in the category ‘Innovative track record’; Inmunotek, National Innovation Award 2019 in the category ‘Small and Medium Enterprise; ESNE, Special Mention in Innovation 2019 in the category ‘Small and Medium Enterprise’; Fhecor Ingenieros Consultores S.A. special mention in Design and Silvia Fernández Palomar, National Design Award 2019 in the category ‘Young Designers’.

The award ceremony, which was attended by some 300 people, was presented by the director of Valencia World Design Capital 2022, Xavi Calvo, and was broadcast live by Valencian public television À Punt, as well as on the social media of the Ministry of Science and Innovation.

The venue, on the first floor of the Science Museum, was equipped with 300 chairs of the Actiu brand, which specialises in the design and manufacture of furniture for workplaces and contract spaces. On the stage were eight Karbon chairs by Actiu, iconic pieces manufactured from carbon fibre.

The presentation of the National Innovation and Design Awards was preceded on Thursday by an act of support by the Ministry of Science and Innovation for Valencia as World Design Capital, which was attended by Teresa Riesgo, general secretary for Innovation of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the president of the Valencian Government, Ximo Puig, and the mayor of Valencia, Joan Ribó. At this meeting a tribute was paid to all eleven Valencian professionals and companies that have been distinguished by these awards since their creation in 1987.

The ceremony also saw the participation of Marisa Gallén, president of the Associació València Capital del Disseny and National Design Award winner in 2019, and Nacho Lavernia, Nacional Design Award winner in 2012, who gave a speech highlighting the role of design for society, industry and institutions.