Design can be so many things. A tool. A vision. An identity. Or the key to the future. Strategy, product, packaging, brand identity, space... The world of design revolves around important topics at the Coburg Design Days that capture the challenges of the future and show the ideas behind them. What has relevance for the success of future projects? Where are the focal points of our common observations and where are the drivers of change?

You may find answers to these questions at our touring exhibition "Future is now!". In the middle of Coburg's city centre on the upper floors of the Parkhaus Mauer, the nominated and award-winning projects of the German Ecodesign Award 2021 will be presented from 24 to 29 May as part of the Coburg Design Days.

Our touring exhibition SPOTLIGHT ON with the nominees and award winners of 2019 and 2020 was shown from October 21 to 29 in Innsbruck as part of the Circular Design Week Tirol. As an environment for workshops, impulse talks and info events, the exhibition served as inspiration and stimulation to push forward one's own ideas.

The events did not exclusively aim at experts, but offered a simple introduction for all entrepreneurs to the topic of circular economy and sustainability.

All ideas are united by the vision of making the world a little bit better. On 28 September, the expert jury nominated the best projects that have applied for the German Ecodesign Award 2021 in a non-public session. From 1 to 10 October, all the entries admitted to the jury session were presented to the public at the feldfünf premises. In the exhibition, visitors learned more about sustainable design and which of the projects can hope for an award in December. A total of 94 exhibits were on display.

“SPOTLIGHT ON – 59 ideas to make the world more sustainable” is the title of this year's touring exhibition, which is part of a varied anniversary programme. The opening on 14 July took place online, coinciding with the start of the NaturVision Film Festival. For the public, the exhibition opens already on 6 July on the premises of the Kunstverein in MIK Museum Information Kunst Ludwigsburg.

With the nominees and award winners of the German Ecodesign Award 2019 and 2020, the double exhibition shows an outstanding range of sustainable projects for the world of tomorrow and provides information on central environmental issues. The exhibition will also be transmitted for the first time as a 360-degree experience in virtual space - for this we would like to thank the Design Center Baden-Württemberg.

The Week of the Environment (Woche der Umwelt) took place digitally for the first time on 10 and 11 June under the motto "This is how the future works! By offering an exciting and informative specialist programme, the event provided an interdisciplinary perspective on key issues for the future. The discussions and talks between the high-calibre guests could be followed in a livestream from the Schlosspark Bellevue.

The online exhibition offered exciting insights into new, environmentally friendly technologies, products, services and concepts that stand for a responsible design of the future. The German Ecodesign Award with the winning projects from 2019 and 2020 was also selected from 600 applications by the expert jury for the exhibition programme.