Biesse launches the Biesse International Design Award together with POLI.design: an international competition dedicated to young design talents
Promoting the talent of young designers and connecting them with industry, materials, and technological innovation: this is the goal of the Biesse International Design Award, the new international competition promoted by Biesse in collaboration with POLI.design, aimed at students, recent graduates, and young professionals from Italy and around the world.
The contest invites participants to develop furniture design projects for residential, commercial, and public spaces, combining design quality, functionality, sustainability, and knowledge of production processes. At the heart of the initiative is the desire to offer participants a concrete opportunity to engage with the real challenges of contemporary design.
Material is the starting point: wood, glass, metal, stone, plastics, and composite materials, processed through Biesse technologies and transformed into objects born from the meeting of material properties and technical possibilities. Every design choice also becomes a responsible act, with attention to the product lifecycle, waste reduction, and material recyclability.
For young creatives, the competition represents an opportunity for visibility and growth, as well as the chance to engage with an advanced industrial ecosystem and explore the potential of materials and technologies applied to design.
“With this competition, we want to offer students and young designers the opportunity to transform an idea into a concrete project, engaging with real materials, technologies, and processes,” says Roberto Selci, Chairman and CEO of Biesse. “It is an initiative that reflects our identity: to innovate, simplify, and put technology at the service of creativity, always placing people at the center.”
“POLI.design has always worked alongside the business world, and the collaboration with Biesse represents an important step in this journey,” adds Walter Ruffinoni, Managing Director of POLI.design. “This contest will give our students the opportunity to expand their skills and will allow us to closely observe the ideas that will shape the future of design.”
The winning concept will be produced as an iconic Biesse object and displayed in the Biesse Material Hubs, unique multi-material experience spaces in the industry. The top three finalists will also receive awards to support their educational and professional paths.
POLI.design, the postgraduate training center of the Politecnico di Milano, is an integral part of the university’s Design System, internationally recognized (ranked 1st in Italy, 3rd in Europe, and 6th worldwide in the QS World University Rankings 2025 for Arts & Design). Since 1999, it has promoted educational programs based on project-based learning, research, and polytechnic knowledge, fostering dialogue between academia, institutions, and industry.