European Alliance for SMC BMC launches 2024 design competition

The European Alliance for SMC BMC (Brussels, Belgium) is launching the fourth edition of the SMC BMC Design Award, an international design competition that recognizes and promotes design excellence in using sheet molding compound (SMC) and bulk molding compound (BMC) advanced materials. This year’s theme is “On the Move — SMC Solutions for Public Transport and Future Mobility.”

SMC and BMC are composite materials ideal for making lightweight, intricate parts that combine structural performance with a smooth surface finish. For that reason, SMC and BMC are increasingly used in a broad range of end-use applications and markets. The European Alliance for SMC BMC competition seeks ideas and proposals for applying these versatile materials (see this past year’s winners)

“We would like to reinforce that SMC and BMC materials are innovative, cost-effective and sustainable, bringing major benefits for consumers and end-users,” Joan Montobbio, chairman of the Alliance Board, says. “The Alliance will support the winners in fine-tuning their designs, improving part manufacturing-ability and business plans, and in bringing their innovations to market.”

Correlating with this year’s theme, “we like the design students to think about how to travel better and faster,” Thomas Wegman, marketing lead for the Alliance, explains. “We believe young designers can help to create a joyful travel experience through proposing novel products and solutions. At the same time, we are interested to significantly reduce environmental footprint, with ever-increasing numbers of travelers.”

The SMC BMC Design Award 2024 is open for design students and young design professionals (less than three years of experience) living in Europe. Innovations entered into the SMC BMC Design Award will be judged by an independent jury with expert members from both the design community and the composites industry.

The total award amount is €17,500, including a Gold Award (€7,500 in cash and €7,500 in coaching), Silver Award (€1,500) and Bronze Award (€1,000).

Visit this link to pre-register your project team. Pre-registration closes on August 31, 2023. Projects have to be submitted before December 31, 2023. The final award ceremony is planned for March 2024.