'PDP Award, Andrea Pininfarina' gets large number of entries from around the world

International Jury that will evaluate the works submitted by students led by Honorary Chairman, Paolo Pininfarina.

The international design contest, ‘PDP Award, Andrea Pininfarina,’ organized by think3 and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, currently has a large number of entries from around the world.

The awards ceremony will take place on July 7, 2010 in the presence of the International Jury consisting of:

1. Paolo Pininfarina, CEO, Pininfarina Spa – Honorary Chairman, PDP Award A.P.
2. Umberto Cugini, Professor, Politecnico di Milano – Chairman PDP Award A.P.
3. Nevio Di Giusto, CEO, Research Center FIAT
4. Chris Bangle, Professional Designer
5. Pierre Castinel, Head of Design at Tata Motor
6. Renzo Trivero, Automotive Consultant and Contractor
7. Alain Massabo, VP Advanced R&D, think3
8. Stefano Cinti Luciani, VP Program Management, think3
9. Davide Ciarloni, Program Manager Senior, think3
10. Silvano Joly, VP worldwide Marketing, think3 – Secretary PDP Award A.P.

"We are very pleased to have obtained the membership of such distinguished jurors who wanted to demonstrate the great proximity to the Turin business leader, Andrea Pininfarina," said Silvano Joly, Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at think3. "The positive feedback has convinced us to extend the deadline for delivery of projects to enable greater participation to a contest that is getting great support and echo around the world.”

In consideration of the great feedback received and of the complexity of guidelines, think3 also extended the deadline for delivery of projects set to April 7th 2010. According to this new schedule the awards ceremony will take place July 7th 2010 (1 months before the anniversary of the disappearance of Eng. Andrea Pininfarina), thereby maintaining always the day 7 as a symbolic date for the commemoration.

Participation is free and open to individual students or groups of students representing design institutes and university faculties of engineering, design and architecture. The competition is open to all new, unpublished products designed with CAD solutions. Projects will be judged on the basis of their innovative content, the originality of their design and the potential for industrialization of the product. Judging will take into account all aspects of the development process, from the idea through product design and engineering, market analyses, market positioning, choice of materials and the requirements for mass production.


Paolo Pininfarina is the Chairman of Pininfarina SpA, and has been since 2008. After completing his studies with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino in 1982, he began working at Pininfarina. Mr. Pininfarina had two internships, one in the United States at Cadillac in Detroit and one in Japan at Honda. He now continues its work in Italy at the "Industrie Pininfarina SpA" where in May 2006 he became Vice President. Among his other activities, he is Program Manager in the Engineering Program 200 GM for General Motors and member of the Scientific Committee of the European Institute of Design in Turin.

Umberto Cugini is Professor at the IV Faculty of Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano since 2001. Among his other positions, he has been a Member of the Board of Directors of the Fondazione Politecnico (www.fondazionepolitecnico.it), Chairman of the Technical Innovation Consortium (www.cpi.polimi.it); and Coordinator of the PhD in "Methods and Techniques of Product Development” from 2002 to 2006. He is also the coordinator of numerous international research projects.

Nevio Di Giusto is Managing Director and CEO of Research Center Fiat SCpA and of Elasis SCpA, the main divisions of Research and Innovation in the Fiat Group. He has a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino and began his career at Fiat in 1978. In 1992 he was appointed Head of the Coordination of the Style of Fiat Auto and, in 1994, Head of the institution “Innovation and Development Design”. In 1997 he was Head of Development Platforms at Fiat Auto, and in 2001, Director of Product Engineering at Fiat Auto. In 2004 he was named Managing Director and General Manager of Elasis (Pomigliano, NA) and starting from December 2005 he assumed the same role for the Fiat Research Center in Orbassano (TO). Since November 2005 he was Chairman of Fiat Group Executives, and in December 2006 he became Chairman of the ATC - Association Technique Automobile. In February 2007 he was elected Vice President of Industrial Union of Naples, with responsibility for Research and Innovation.

Chris Bangle, after graduation in 1981, began his career at Opel and moved to Europe. As an interior designer he worked on numerous projects including the Opel Tech 1 and the Opel Junior (with the Opel Junior he receives a special mention for the originality of its interior design at Frankfurt in 1983). In 1985 he was approached by Fiat Style Center with the proposal to treat the design of the exterior. In 1992 he became Director of the Fiat Style Center. In this period the revitalization of the auto group in Turin started with projects like the Fiat Coupe and the Alfa Romeo 145.
In October 1992 he became Head of BMW Style Center, the FIZ of Monaco of Bavaria. Under his leadership, the BMW design changes completely within a few years. Among his most famous models: the spider Z3, the first SUV, the X5, the Series 5, the 3 and the flagship 7.

Castinel Pierre is head of Design at Tata Motors. He started as a modeler for Peugeot and worked there for three years. In 1988 Castinel was asked to do an internship where he competed for the creation of Renault's first concept car. His model would become the 1988 Megane concept. After winning one year at Art Center Europe where he continued to study, Castinel returned to Renault as a designer. During his 20 year career at the French automaker, he was involved in the design of the Renault Trafic, the Laguna 2 and a multitude of commercial vehicle designs. Having launched the brand identity for Renault Samsung in Korea, Castinel worked as creative Design Manager on Samsung SM5, SM7 and SM3. He also worked as project manager on Renault Koleos, Sandero and the forthcoming Megane.
As Tata's Head of Design, Castinel now spends his time between the company's design studios in the UK, India and Korea. Castinel is charged with developing the design direction and forming the brand identity for Tata's full line of vehicles: cars, pickups, SUVs, MPVs, trucks and buses.

Renzo Trivero graduated in Mechanical Engineering in 1981 and started his career in 1982 as Technical Director Assistant of Industrie Pininfarina. From 1987 to 1988 he was responsible of the Pininfarina’s St. George plant. From 1989 until 1992 he was Model and Prototype Manager of “Pininfarina Studi e Ricerche”. From 1992 to 1996 he was Program Manager Director at Industrie Pininfarina and within two years he was Product Development Director of Industrie Pininfarina. In 1999 he was appointed Product Development Director at Luceplan Spa. Since 2002 he is Associate Partner and Managing Director of Elpa Srl (automotive engineering consulting): he has collaborated with Fiat Auto, Pininfarina, Azimut-Benetti Yachts, Design Jordan, Ferrari, and many other customers.