The Rado Star Prize Switzerland for Young TalentsAn innovative product with worldwide potential wins
The Swiss medtech startup SteriLux has been named the winner of the Rado Star Prize Switzerland for Young Talents. The international jury of Design Prize Switzerland was won over by the young company's product, which sterilizes medical instruments in an innovative way. SteriLux CEO Marc Spaltenstein and designer Jordane Vernet were honoured at the award ceremony with prize money and the limited edition Rado True Phospho, which was co-developed by Rado and Swiss design collective Big-Game.
With over 142 entries from all design disciplines, the Rado Star Prize for Young Talents is the biggest category in Design Prize Switzerland. A top-notch jury selected seven finalist projects for the 2017/18 edition of the competition and decided on SteriLux as the winner. The Swiss startup developed an affordable new type of sterilization method that can be carried out even without reliable access to electricity or clean water. The SteriLux system, which makes use of UV light and ozone, was developed jointly by scientists and designers – a truly award-winning achievement.
"This is an innovative product with worldwide potential that combines new technologies with great design. The idea of making the previously impossible possible is a perfect reflection of Rado's pioneer spirit. We congratulate Marc Spaltenstein and his team on their impressive victory in this year's Rado Star Prize Switzerland for Young Talents," comments Matthias Breshan, CEO of Rado.
The jury’s verdict
The jointly developed SteriLux system won over the jury in every respect. The concept of saving lives in an elegant, innovative way makes SteriLux a worthy recipient of this year’s Design Prize Switzerland.
The impressive jury consisted of Demna Gvasalia (Founder of Vetements / Creative Director Balenciaga, Milan / Zurich / Paris), Liesbeth in’t Hout (Co-Director Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam), Doreen Lorenzo (Director of the Center for Integrated Design, University of Texas-Austin), Wolfgang K. Meyer-Hayoz (Meyer-Hayoz Design Engineering Group, Winterthur), Nils Holger Moormann (Designer and entrepreneur, Aschau) und Lars Müller (Lars Müller Publishers, Zürich).
Rado True Phospho – innovative Swiss watch design
The winning team from SteriLux was awarded a Rado True Phospho. Limited to 1003 pieces, the True Phospho was developed by Swiss design studio Big-Game. The timepiece is crafted from high-tech ceramic and features the studio’s characteristic playful and unexpected design approach. Big-Game received the Merit Prize from Design Prize Switzerland in 2015.
About the Rado Star Prize
The Rado Star Prize is an established design competition that is held in cooperation with renowned design partners from around the world. In addition to Switzerland, so far the competition has taken place in France, Austria, the USA, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, China, the Netherlands, Italy, South Africa, the UK and Peru. The prize is Rado's way of supporting rising young designers from diverse disciplines and offering them a platform for their creative work. The previous edition of the Rado Star Prize Switzerland for Young Talents was won by Mugi Yamamoto in 2015 for his futuristic printer design entitled "Stack".