Following in the footsteps of the inspiring 2014 tow tractor design contest, Toyota Material Handling Europe (TMHE) is now asking design students and 2015 graduates across Europe to revamp or revolutionize the design of Toyota’s market-leading forklifts.
The design theme of the second competition is: ‘Forklifts. Like you’ve never seen them before.’ Last time, TMHE invited top design students and graduates to transform the company’s tow tractors. For the 2016 competition, designers are asked to suggest how Toyota forklifts might go through a metamorphosis. By applying their imagination and ingenuity, European design students and graduates are being challenged to create a forklift unlike any other.
Magnus Oliveira Andersson, head of design at TMHE, said, “We want them to go about this assignment with no holds barred. Every student and graduate should feel absolutely free to create what he or she thinks is best conceptually and/or aesthetically. There is one reservation, however. The designers must keep the Toyota heritage and core product values in mind (safety, durability, productivity, driveability and simplicity), as they set about their inventive work.”
The winning entry will receive a 5,000 cash award. Two runners-up will be rewarded for their efforts, too. The decision is in the hands of a jury made up of experts and industry professionals. A press event and awards ceremony announcing the winners will take place in February 2016. Scale prototypes of the winning entries will subsequently be presented at CeMAT 2016.
The competition starts on May 19 and will close on October 18, 2015. To visit the site, click here.
