International Young Design Entrepreneur 2007

The International Young Design Entrepreneur of the Year (IYDEY) award was launched in 2005 and champions the achievements of young design entrepreneurs - people working in the fields of architecture, design promotion, graphic design, interior design, product design and digital media - from emerging economies. The programme recognises their role - and that of the design sector in general - in developing new, local talent and sharing this creativity with the rest of the world.

Each year, between eight and ten emerging economies are selected to take part through their local British Council office. In each country a national jury of leading industry figures is created and an open selection process is established. Candidates, all aged 25-35, are selected because of their existing contribution to the development, and their potential as a leader, of the design sector in their country. In each country the prize is the chance to visit the UK as part of the programme and represent their country in the IYDEY final.

The tour, in September each year, provides a tailored introduction to the UK design, including meetings with senior industry figures and the chance to visit London and Glasgow and attend 100% Design. It opens doors and presents new opportunities.

After a day of presentations from the finalists, the winner is chosen by an elite UK jury. The winner receives a financial award of £7,500 to be spent on a collaborative project with the British Council.

In these webpages...

Meet the finalists tells you more about the ten finalists who are taking part in the award programme. This includes their biographies, links to their business website and – at the end of September – their presentation to the judges about the design industry in their country.

In Meet the judges you can meet the experts who will be deciding just who goes home with the title International Young Design Entrepreneur of the Year 2007.

In the Showcase section you and also find out about the design objects and pieces that the finalists have selected to present to you the consumer. These are all items that they are promoting against the design brief to select elements of design from their home country which they believe may interest design consumers in the UK and internationally. You can let them know what you think of their choices.

You can find out who's presenting the award this year and IYDEY's history, including past IYDEY winners, finalists and the IYDEY alumni network, in our Insights & Alumni section.

And in the Press & Media section you can find, in one place, all the audio and video interviews, photographs and other media relating to this year's competition. It's a dedicated resource for journalists, where they can register for a range of specific benefits.