Designer Philippe Starck has been selected as the DesignEuropa Awards 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

EUIPO has also announced the finalists in the other categories this year: entrepreneurs and small companies and industry. They are:

• CLF Growth Containers (Latvia)
• Pet Shell (Slovenia)
• Showee (Spain)
• CBL 900 (Czechia)
• NOHRD StepTower (Germany)
• SOMATOM On.site (Germany)

For this first time, it is also possible to vote for one of these finalists to receive the Public Choice Award. You can vote here.

The 2026 edition marks the 10^th anniversary of the DesignEuropa Awards. The award winners and the winner of the Next Generation Award will be announced at a ceremony in Ljubljana, Slovenia on 22 September 2026.

Announcing the Lifetime Achievement Award, EUIPO said:

Driven by the conviction that design must improve the lives of as many people as possible, Starck has consistently combined creativity with purpose. His approach goes beyond aesthetics, placing human needs, accessibility and ethical responsibility at the centre of every creation, while promoting a more democratic, sustainable and inclusive vision of design.

From iconic objects such as the Juicy Salif juicer and the Louis Ghost chair, to his pioneering work in architecture, mobility and technology, Philippe Starck has continuously pushed the boundaries of design. By merging innovation with cultural expression and social impact, he has transformed design into a powerful tool for improving daily life and shaping a more responsible future.