Spotlight on innovation at massive trade show

The shortlist for the eagerly awaited 2013 Batimat Innovation Awards has been announced.

The nine specialist technical juries met at the end of September to deliberate, finally whittling down the 235 entries to a shortlist of 81 contenders for the coveted awards. The 2013 competition marks the coming together of three exhibitions covering the entire construction sector – BATIMAT, INTERCLIMA+ELEC and IDEO BAIN – making the world’s leading Building and Architecture showcase.

The aim of the Innovation Awards is to act as an incubator and single out innovative solutions from all three shows that will enable the industry to meet the huge challenge of energy efficiency in buildings.

This year’s shortlist represents real progress for the entire industry and identifies many new avenues of development.

The Innovation Awards aim to highlight and promote technical innovations in the markets covered by the three exhibitions: construction, comfort & energy efficiency and bathrooms. The competition has been completely revamped and will for the first time present a complete range of building sector innovations.

Nine specialist technical juries composed of recognised experts (building contractors, contracting authorities, professional bodies and technical centres, journalists, architects, etc.) reviewed a total of 235 entries from exhibitors, evaluating each project against stringent criteria to determine whether they fulfil the current needs of industry professionals. The 81 shortlisted projects were chosen for their innovativeness, potential and pertinence.

Innovation is what gives this major building and architecture trade show its cutting edge, in 2013 more than ever, driving the development of solutions to meet the major challenges facing the sector: the energy transition, energy-efficient renovation, building envelope optimisation, environmental quality of the materials and technologies used, more widespread use of home automation and building site safety. Reinforcing the vital importance of energy efficiency, ADEME has become Official Partner of the Innovation Awards for the first time.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 4 November, the first evening of the show, in front of an audience of distinguished guests and industry and media representatives.

A number of Awards will be given as well as commendations for all the three shows in three categories: Energy Efficiency, Environmental Quality and Combined Skills.

New this year to reflect the importance of the Innovation Awards, five large Innovation Areas will be strategically placed at the entrances to each hall of Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, one for each category, so that visitors can preview the shortlisted entries.