1. Where can I submit my idea?
To successfully submit, the applicant must:

• Follow the steps, upload a presentation and click submit
• Upon successful submission, the applicant will receive an email confirmation

2. What countries are contestants allowed to participate from?
In order to participate in the competition applicants may be of any nationality but must be residents of: Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the UAE.

3. What is the submission deadline?
The tentative submission deadline is the 4th of October 2020. Please keep an eye on the website and social media channels as they are regularly updated with important dates/timelines.

4. Do I have to submit a working prototype or only the concept/Idea?
The submission can be a concept or an idea but projects that have been carefully considered, or have been developed and mapped out are more likely to be selected by the jury.

5. Is there a design brief for the competition? If so, where can I find it?
The theme of the competition can be found by scrolling to the second page of ‘THEME’, further information can be found in CRITERIA and the application itself acts as support to guide the applicant.

6. Is there any participation fee to enter the competition?
The objectives of the Audi Innovation Award is to support emerging talent and promote innovation in the region, therefore there is no participation fee to enter the competition.

7. Does the submission have to be in relevance or direct correlation to the operational business of Audi itself?
No, the submission does not have to be in any relation to Audi or the automotive industry.

8. Kindly send me detailed information about the intellectual property rights and whether they belong to the applicant.
The competition is dedicated to empowering regional designers, Audi does not seek ownership of any of the submissions or developed winning projects. The IP remains in the name of the creator/designer.

9. As the registration requires personal information such as nationality and the like, how do we fill the personal information fields if we are participating as a group or company? What is the maximum size of a team allowed?
Applicants may submit as a group, studio or office by selecting one point of contact; this point of contact must be a resident in one of the listed countries. Please note only one person will be invited to present the idea at award ceremonies and presentations if the group does not reside in the UAE.

10. Can I participate with an innovative idea that is difficult to realize in the present?
Yes, allow room for the judges to make that call.

11. I have a great idea but it is not linked with the year’s theme, can I still submit it?
Yes, the competition is open to all submissions however one of the criteria for judging is the relevance to the theme. (See Theme/Criteria section on the home page)

EZ move: Jamal Alsharkas

EZ move is the first innovation of its kind to finally give mobility and visually impaired people freedom of movement, freedom of choice and the dignity of being in control of their own destination. This intelligent mobility device senses obstacles in the user’s path, enabling anyone to walk & travel independently far outside their comfort zones and to discover the amazing roots that our city offers.
With 9 years of work experience, Jamal is a proficient and imaginative creative event designer. He holds a degree in Product design and has had the chance to teach for 2 years at the Arab International University in Syria where he was responsible for teaching basic design skills and guiding first year students.

He moved to Dubai in 2013 and with his background in product and interior design, and joint passion, he was able to enter the events business where since then, he has focused for 4 years on space design and interactive solutions for countless events.

iLuminating Light: Benjamin Piper

‘iLuminating Space’ is a digital light projection system that augments physical spaces with intelligent lighting and digital content / information.

The system is intended to utilize interactive lighting systems as a means to both capture and relay information in physical environments. The device consists of 3d motion-sensing camera to capture information from the real world such as the position of a user’s hands, location and identity of real-world objects and the geometry of a given physical space.

The digital content is projected back into the physical through ‘low-level’ emotive information or ‘high-level’ literal information content such as text, graphics, imagery and video content: combining digital and physical worlds in a single human-computer interface.

Monumental Shadow: Ricardas Blazukas

Monumental Shadow is a kinetic shelter concept that adapts to the position of the Sun to cast the most optimal shadow throughout the day.

The vertical totems equipped with sun tracking system pivot in response to location of the Sun. By creating comfort and encouraging people to collect around a focal point, the totems activate new gathering and social spaces in the city. Most shading devices within built environment are static, whilst the Sun position is constantly changing. My starting point was to create a design that responds to the harsh climate of the Middle East, is spatial, contains artistic creativity, but also has a social aspect of giving back to the community. Monumental Shadow became a combination of all: an autonomous design that blends function, aesthetics and integrity of design to create a high quality social space representing modern day living.

R2R: Elias El Soueidi

Ruin to Reality (R2R) is an application that would allow access to virtual 3d models of historical buildings and cultural sites.

The application’s intention is to take part in the archiving process of different cultures by preserving their architectural heritage. the dignity of being in control of their own destination.

Connect to Thrive: Abdhul Hazeeb HZB

Connect to Thrive is an enclosed interior space proposed as place of solitude and calm; neither your home nor your workplace, but a space in between for use just for a certain amount of time: An urban design concept where humans can connect within the compacted life of living in cities.

CyRCLE: Andrea Sensoli

CyRCLE is proposed as a modern-day shelter and provides an enhanced means of communication: exploding the notion of modern fixation with screens by providing a 360-degree communal display space for meetings, gatherings or entertainment.

Pincher: Twelve Degrees Design Agency

The inspiration behind ‘Pincher’ came through realizing a product from the phrase, "a pinch of salt". Rather than shaking salt and pepper randomly out of a dispenser, the lightweight silicon device allows the user to measure precisely the amount that would be released from between your own fingertips through the motion of pinching. This allows the user to control the flow of seasoning for a simpler and more intuitive user experience.

BENTOS: Ahmad Alameh & Hadi Nassar

Bentos is a super polymer using nanotechnology to hold heavy weight, the innovation is in the cuts applied to the textile allowing it to become rigid when bent and become flexible when contracted. The cut pattern is applied to slits in the textile acting as stoppers when pressed into a particular angle. The resulting material can be used in various applications on the body to support movement, prevent overextension, and bear weight – ideal for athletes, elderly, injured, craftsmen and builders.

Di_Wrapp: Omar El-Dimassi

Di_Wrapp is a patented digital skin for the automotive industry. The skin is adhered to the surface of any vehicle body and can be transformed through the use of a mobile app. This interface serves as a billboard for advertising, alerts, general information or for personal customization. Given the number of vehicle surfaces in our urban environment, this opens up a new horizon in communication.

Insect Kids: Ahmad and Rasha Jarrar

Insect Kids, created by Ahmad Jarrar and Rasha Jarrar, aims to redefine traditional playtime by creating a range of flatpack toys made out of recyclable and biodegradable materials. Studies suggest that children get bored of toys in an average of 36 days, ultimately cluttering homes or loading landfills. The toys redesigned by Insect can be easily disassembled, reducing clutter and ensuring space efficiency. The innovators also provide recycling services for responsible disposal at the end of the product’s lifecycle.