Hangzhou, China – On the evening of December 12, the 10th Design Intelligence Award (DIA) ceremony was held at the Liangzhu Campus of the China Academy of Art.

The ceremony was attended by over 600 guests, including Lu Shan, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province; Xu Jiang, Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Chairman of the Academic Committee of the China Academy of Art; Shi Qinghong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Provincial Government; Wang Jian, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of Zhejiang Lab; Yang Huayong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Professor at Zhejiang University; Qian Xiaofang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress and Vice Chairperson of the Education, Science, Culture, Health and Sport Committee; Zhan Min, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Economic and Information Technology; Dong Zhao, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Economic and Information Technology; Chen Feng, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education; Yang Jiangen, Deputy Secretary of the Yuhang District Committee and District Mayor of Hangzhou; Zhang Linghao, President of Nanjing University of the Arts; Zhou Feng, President of Hubei University of Art; Dong Zhanjun, President of Shandong University of Arts and Crafts; Jin Yibin, Yu Xuhong, Shen Hao, Han Xu, Fu Qiaoling, and Xia Wenli, members of the leadership team of the China Academy of Art; as well as members of the DIA jury, representatives from local departments, art schools, participating technology companies, and award-winning authors.

Scene of the 10th Design Intelligence Award Ceremony

During the award ceremony, Vice Governor Lu Shan delivered a speech and presented the grand prize. He pointed out that General Secretary Xi Jinping places great importance on industrial design, emphasizing the need to enhance the level of industrial design, increase product added value, and strengthen the competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing, which provides direction and fundamental guidelines for promoting high-quality development in industrial design. After a decade of focused effort, the Design Intelligence Award has developed into an internationally influential event, becoming a key platform for gathering innovative resources and promoting industrial integration. The award showcases outstanding achievements in industrial aesthetics and technological innovation, vividly demonstrating the practical application of design in driving industrial upgrades and gradually building a collaborative mechanism that connects education, competition, and production, providing strong support for the growth of design talent and the transformation of achievements. Lu Shan stated that in light of new trends such as artificial intelligence, Zhejiang will continue to open application scenarios, promoting comprehensive empowerment of industry innovation and talent development through smart design, accelerating the cultivation of new productive forces, and aiding in the construction of a modern industrial system with Zhejiang characteristics. Standing at the starting point of a new decade, he hopes the award will remain true to its original intention, continue to innovate, and further gather the power of design and manufacturing to inject strong momentum into the modernization of China.

The “Grand Prize” of the 2025 Design Intelligence Award was awarded to Huawei’s Harmony ecosystem for all-scenario intelligent terminals after several rounds of rigorous selection. The gold awards went to the “Rui Zhi” clinical decision support system under the artificial intelligence-driven smart healthcare ecosystem, Rokid smart glasses, XPENG AeroHT’s Land Aircraft Carrier, and Cannero WalkingTales: An Open-Air Immersive Experience.

Vice Governor Lu Shan of Zhejiang Province presented the grand prize to the award winners.

Xu Jiang and Yu Xuhong gave speeches, followed by remarks from Xia Zehan, Director of the UNESCO Office for East Asia, and Makiko Sumura, incoming President of the World Design Organization (WDO).

Xu Jiang, Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Chairman of the Zhejiang Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Chairman of the Academic Committee of the China Academy of Art, and initiator of the Design Intelligence Award, delivered a speech.

Xu Jiang pointed out that through ten years of development, the Design Intelligence Award has become an internationally renowned industrial design platform, achieving a transition from China’s first industrial design academy award to an important global design competition. He reviewed three major transformations in the award’s development: from initial invitations to now having enthusiastic submissions from around the world; from the difficulty of producing “gold awards” to showcasing excellent works across multiple categories; and from the challenges of promoting winning works to now having active engagement from the industry and proactive investment from brands. He emphasized that the award has built an innovative ecosystem centered around “intelligent life, innovative forms, cultural intelligence, smart living, scientific and artistic intelligence, and industry think tanks,” and has established strategic cooperation with the World Design Organization to promote the transformation of design achievements and industrial upgrades. The tenth exhibition showcased innovative works in smart automobiles, robotics, and wearable technology, highlighting the revitalizing energy of Eastern intelligence. This edition of the competition attracted participation from 52 countries and regions, with 37 outstanding works shortlisted for the final evaluation. Xu Jiang stated that global design talent is converging in Liangzhu, the origin of civilization, to jointly compose the innovative chapters of the intelligent age.

Yu Xuhong, President of the China Academy of Art, delivered a speech.

Yu Xuhong stated that over the past ten years, the Design Intelligence Award has evolved from an academy award into an internationally influential innovative ecological platform. Throughout this decade, the competition has covered 87 countries and regions worldwide, bringing together top design talent, promoting the deep integration of art and technology, and witnessing the rise of Chinese design capabilities and the flourishing of a youth innovation ecosystem. In the context of developing new quality productive forces, the award continues to link industry, academia, and international resources, collaborating with technology companies for incubation initiatives and promoting the integration of the “two AIs” for innovative synergy. Currently, design has become a key link in realizing and creating technological value. The award will continue to serve as a bridge, merging artistic spirit with technological rationality, and cultivating interdisciplinary talent that possesses both technical skills and artistic creativity. The China Academy of Art will uphold its educational mission and work together with various sectors to establish the award as a world-class design platform with international leadership, continually promoting Chinese design on the global dialogue frontier.

Video message from Xia Zehan, Director of the UNESCO Office for East Asia.

Xia Zehan stated that artificial intelligence is profoundly reshaping design paradigms, bringing both technological innovation and prompting reflections on ethics, originality, and human values. UNESCO insists on the principle of “technology serving humanity,” promoting the use of artificial intelligence to enhance human dignity, cultural diversity, and sustainable development. He affirmed the Design Intelligence Award as a platform that connects innovation with social responsibility, using Shanghai as a “City of Design” as an example, noting that cities can promote inclusive development through design. He expressed the need to build a development path centered on human creativity and guided by benevolent technology. UNESCO is willing to collaborate with all parties to steer artificial intelligence and design toward ethical, open, and inclusive directions.

Remarks by Makiko Tsumura, incoming President of the World Design Organization (WDO).

Makiko Tsumura extended her congratulations to all the award winners and expounded on the vision for deepening cooperation between the WDO and the China Academy of Art in the future. She commended the China Academy of Art for its leading position in design education, research innovation, and cultural heritage, and proposed three main areas of collaboration: First, enhancing design education and research capabilities through global academic exchanges; second, strengthening international design dialogue through platforms like the Design Intelligence Award; and third, jointly promoting the critical role of design in addressing global challenges, including sustainable development, social welfare, and cultural vitality. She stated that through shared values and close cooperation, both sides will continuously inspire global design innovation and contribute to creating a more sustainable and culturally vibrant future.

During the award ceremony, the Cumulus Association and the China Academy of Art officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Both parties, based on the principles of equality, openness, and mutual benefit, will leverage their respective advantages to jointly organize international events, student innovation camps, and academic research activities, relying on the Innovation Incubation Award. Through a collaborative innovation model of “platform-driven—industry-defined—university-response,” they aim to integrate resources from awards, enterprises, and universities, achieving a high-quality and deep integration of design education and industrial innovation, while further expanding the breadth and depth of global innovation cooperation.

Jin Yibin, Secretary of the Party Committee of the China Academy of Art, and Gong Miaosen, Executive Committee Member of the Cumulus Association, signed a strategic cooperation agreement.

The entries for this year’s Design Intelligence Award fully reflect the era’s characteristics of global design diversity and cross-cultural exchange. They cover various industry fields, including smart transportation and the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning, healthcare and biomedicine, digital cultural tourism and immersive experiences, as well as clean energy and sustainable design. Additionally, they encompass cutting-edge applications such as brain-computer interfaces, virtual reality, and new materials. In emerging industry sectors like the low-altitude economy, digital cultural tourism, and humanoid robots, the entries actively explore innovative fields such as augmented reality, the metaverse, and human-machine symbiosis, promoting the upgrading and restructuring of global supply chains, innovation chains, and value chains within the context of Industry 4.0.

Shi Qinghong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, and Jin Yibin, Secretary of the Party Committee of the China Academy of Art, presented the Cultural Innovation Gold Award to the winners.

Song Jianming, Professor at the China Academy of Art and the first Chairman of the DIA Organizing Committee, along with Cai Yonghua, Vice President of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, announced the Cultural Innovation Gold Award.

Zhan Min, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Economic and Information Technology, and Yu Xuhong, President of the China Academy of Art, presented the Industrial Equipment Gold Award to the winners

Wang Shouzhi, an expert in design theory and history and a distinguished professor at the Art Center College of Design in the United States, along with Hang Jian, Vice Chairman of the Academic Committee of the China Academy of Art and the first Chairman of the DIA Academic Committee, announced the Industrial Equipment Gold Award.

Qian Xiaofang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress and Vice Chairperson of the Education, Science, Culture, Health and Sport Committee, and Zhou Feng, President of Hubei University of Art, presented the Life Wisdom Gold Award to the winners.

Shen Hao, Vice President of the China Academy of Art, and Zhao Lu, Vice President of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, announced the Life Wisdom Gold Award.

Zhang Linghao, President of Nanjing University of the Arts, presented the Digital Economy Gold Award to the winners.

He Renke, Chairman of the DIA Final Judging Committee and Member of the State Council’s Academic Appraisal Group, along with Dong Zhanjun, President of Shandong University of Arts and Crafts, announced the Digital Economy Gold Award.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Design Intelligence Award. Over the past decade, the award has received more than 65,000 entries from 87 countries and regions worldwide, with a participation rate of 84% from leading innovative countries. The penetration rate of intelligent design is 81%, and the proportion of awards given to emerging and future industries is 56%. Participants include over 6,000 high-tech manufacturing companies such as Google, Microsoft, Boeing, Samsung, Honda, BMW, Huawei, and iFLYTEK, as well as more than 800 universities and research institutions globally, with a coverage rate of 85% from top international academic think tanks. The fields covered include artificial intelligence, life and health, digital manufacturing, and smart cities, with several projects moving toward industrialization, some becoming industry benchmarks. This year’s award ceremony focused on ten key scenarios: “Embodied Intelligence, Smart Health, Intelligent Visualization, Smart Kitchen and Bathroom, Intelligent Generation, Smart Terminals, Connected Mobility, Smart Cultural Tourism, Smart Education, and Wearable Technology,” with the DIA announcing the “Top Ten Cases of the Decade.”

A Decade of Innovation: Connecting to the Future

Wang Jian, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Director of Zhejiang Lab, and Chairman of the DIA Academic Committee, presented the awards for the “DIA Best Entries of the Decade”.

Yang Huayong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Professor at Zhejiang University, presented the awards for the “DIA Best Entries of the Decade”.

Zhu Mingming, Founder of Lingban Technology and representative of the DIA Best Entries of the Decade, delivered a speech.

Chen Feng, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, and Dong Zhao, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Economic and Information Technology, presented the Silver Awards to the winners.

Sun Shouqian, Professor at Zhejiang University and Member of the State Council’s Academic Appraisal Group; Wu Haiyan, Professor at the China Academy of Art; Fang Yibo, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Xinhua News Agency’s Zhejiang Branch; Duan Weibin, Vice Chairman of the Design Intelligence Award Organizing Committee; and Jiang Jun, Vice Chairman of the Design Intelligence Award Organizing Committee, presented the Bronze Awards to the winners.

A Decade of Intelligent Innovation：Reaching New Heights

 Lu Tao, Secretary-General of the Design Intelligence Award, issued the “Development Declaration for the New Decade of the DIA.”

Lu Tao issued the “Development Declaration for the New Decade of the DIA,” outlining ten principles that encapsulate a decade of wisdom: Design is a great value and an outstanding mediator between technology and humanity; it and technology are undergoing infinite evolution together, with design thinking guiding technology toward benevolence. The award should connect the academic, industrial, and social innovation ecosystems, as youth creativity is the future of design. Furthermore, design is a strategic asset for the nation and should address the common challenges facing humanity while building a globally collaborative design innovation network to safeguard the value and dignity of the “human” in the age of intelligence.

This declaration originates from the brilliant insights of every participating work accumulated over the past decade. It also reflects the shared consensus of global experts and scholars, embodying the collective hopes of all design practitioners. Since its release, it has been made openly accessible to everyone on the DIA’s official website in an open-source framework, shaping exemplary models that continue to evolve.

Xiong Na, Deputy Secretary-General of the Design Intelligence Award, along with expert representatives from the DIA, jointly launched the global call for entries for the 2026 Design Intelligence Award.

Group photo of the winners of the Excellence Award and the Outstanding Award.

Winners of the 10th Design Intelligence Award.

Additional leaders and guests attending the award ceremony included Lv Shaoqing, Vice President of Nanjing University of the Arts; Yang Jun, Vice President of Yunnan Arts University; Mou Wenhu, Vice President of Sichuan Conservatory of Music; and Kong Liang, Vice President of Shandong University of Arts and Crafts. Also present were Fang Yibo, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Xinhua News Agency’s Zhejiang Branch; Xin Yihua, Professor at Central China Normal University; Sun Shouqian, Professor at Zhejiang University; Gong Miaosen, Executive Committee Member of the Cumulus Association; and Mateo Kries, Director of Vitra Design Museum. Local government officials included Zhou Ye, member of the Standing Committee of the Publicity Department of the Hangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China; Zeng Hong, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Yuhang District People’s Congress; Mao Wenfeng, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Xihu District People’s Congress; and Zhang Ruqiang, Vice Mayor of Haining City. Representatives from the technology sector included Zhou Xiaojun from Shanghai Yangpu Investment Holding (Group) Co., Ltd.; Jin Li from the Qianjiang New City Development Group; Gao Xiaoguang from Goertek Inc.; Hu Zhipeng from NetEase Group; Zhu Mingming from Lingban Technology; Yang Zhaoyi from Qiangnao Technology; Wang Tan from Xpeng AeroHT; Li Hongnian from Unitree Robotics; and Zheng Dongxin from DEEP Robotics.

The 10th Design Intelligence Award officially launched on December 12, 2024, with participation from 52 countries and regions, including over 1,600 well-known domestic and international companies. The share of debut works accounted for 69%, representing a 4% increase compared to last year, achieving a dual breakthrough in scale and quality. After a rigorous evaluation by 24 judges from nine countries, a total of 440 entries were shortlisted, among which the 37 most representative works participated in the final defense, competing for the grand prize of one million yuan.

This year, a new “Innovation Incubation Award” was introduced as part of the DIA’s collaborative mechanism in industry-university-research integration, with over 80 works awarded and 26 advancing to the finals. Participating institutions include 29 prestigious universities, such as Zhejiang University, Tongji University, Beijing Institute of Technology, and Hunan University, along with pioneering companies like Alibaba International, Qiangnao Technology, and Fourier Intelligence. The competition promotes outstanding projects from the laboratory to the market through multiple rounds of incubation, facilitating the transformation of innovative achievements and injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of Chinese design.