The Index Project

The Index Project, formerly INDEX: Design to Improve Life, is a Danish nonprofit organisation that promotes designs aimed at the improvement of life worldwide, both in developed and developing countries. The organisation is behind the biennial Index Award, the world's biggest design award.
History.
Established in 2002, The Index Project was initially proposed by designer Johan Adam Linneballe and then Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs as a world design event in order to promote Denmark on a global scale, as well as attract tourism and investments. However, it soon acquired a global perspective, and its mission has become expressed in its motto: "Design to Improve Life".
The organisation is under the patronage of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark, is supported by the Danish Ministry of Business and Growth. The Index Project is promoted by means of a design award, The Index Award, a world-touring exhibition, a summer camp, conferences, and publications. As of 2018, the organisation is headed by Liza Chong. It was previously led by founding CEO Kigge Hvid, former CEO of Øksnehallen.
Index Award.
The biennial Index Award was initiated in 2005, financed by the state of Denmark with a total prize sum worth . It is currently the world's largest monetary award in its area, is widely recognised as the most influential in inspiring life-improving design, and has often been dubbed the "Nobel Prize of design". British design critic Alice Rawsthorn in 2011, wrote for "The New York Times", "Not only is INDEX: the world's most generous design prize in financial terms, it is one of the few awards to have made a meaningful contribution to design discourse."
Projects from around the world are entered into competition for the award with finalists and winners determined by an international jury. In addition to choosing the successful designs, The Index Award Jury plays a key role in developing and advocating for strategies to expand the borders and impact of design in the world.
2005 winners.
The first Index Award was announced in September 2004, and the competition received 538 entries representing 50 countries, of which The Index Award Jury chaired by Arnold Wasserman selected 118 finalists to participate in The Index Award Exhibition. The winners, announced at the award ceremony at the Copenhagen City Hall on 22 September, were:
2007 winners.
In 2007, The Index Award received 337 entries, of which the Jury chaired by Nille Juul-Sørensen selected 112 for nomination, and 110 were exhibited on Kongens Nytorv. The winners, announced at the award ceremony at the Copenhagen City Hall on 24 August, were:
2009 winners.
In 2009, The Index Award received 720 entries from 54 countries, of which the Jury chaired by Designit co-founder Mikal Hallstrup selected 72 for nomination and exhibition on Kongens Nytorv as part of the first Copenhagen Design Week. The winners, announced at the award ceremony at Koncerthuset on 28 August, were:
The INDEX: Award Exhibition subsequently went on tour to Seoul and Singapore among others.
2011 winners.
In 2011, The Index Award received 966 entries from 78 countries, of which the Jury chaired by Nille Juul-Sørensen selected 58 for nomination and participation in The Index Award Exhibition outside the Royal Danish Playhouse on the harbor front in the Frederiksstaden neighbourhood of central Copenhagen. The winners announced at the award ceremony at the Copenhagen Opera House on 1 September were:
2013 winners.
The 2013 Index Award broke all previous records by receiving 1,022 entries for the competition from 73 countries, of which the Jury chaired by Mikal Hallstrup selected 59 for nomination and participation in The Index Award Exhibition in Rosenborg Castle Gardens. The winners, announced at the award ceremony on 29 August at Kulturværftet in Elsinore under the attendance of Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, were:
2015 winners.
The 2015 Index Award were presented at Kulturværftet in Elsinore on 27 August, honouring five winners among the 46 shortlisted finalists chosen from a pool of 1123 entries from 72 countries. The winners were:
2017 winners.
The 2017 Index Award was presented at Kulturværftet in Elsinore on September 1, 2017 with Alice Tumler as the hostess. Out of 1,401 nominations from 85 countries, 56 were selected as finalists and five of these won an Index Award. Each winner received €100,000 for further development of their design. The winners were:
2019 winners.
The 2019 Index Award was presented at The Plant in Copenhagen on September 6, 2019 with journalist Peter Stanners as the host. It featured keynotes from past winners such as Mikkel Vestergaard, CEO of Vestergaard, Ryan Sims, VP of Design at Duolingo and Keenan Wyrobek, CEO of Zipline. Out of more than 1,800 nominations, 42 finalists from 19 countries were presented and five of these won an Index Award. Each winner received €100,000 with their prize. The winners were: