‘Concrete’ is the motto that emerges from the 26 products awarded this year, among 157 nominations, of Smart Label – Host Innovation Award, the recognition of HostMilano in collaboration with POLI.design and with the sponsorship of ADI – Association for Industrial Design.

“In this edition,” comments Matteo O. Ingaramo, President of POLI.design and Chairman of the Jury, “many candidate products demonstrate an interest in a more ‘mature’ innovation that combines technological efficiency with the effectiveness of human interaction, resulting in an overall efficiency of the man-machine system: fewer errors mean higher quality and considerable savings”.

An overall efficiency that interprets resource saving as sustainability: “While sustainability contributes to the care of resources, through a circular and systemic approach, technology moves towards cloud services and more automation. Social trends involve inclusion and interconnection to navigate the complexity of our society”, adds Giselle Chajin, jury and Design Director of Tangity Italy.

Another jury member, Markus Orthey, Braun Design Director at De’Longhi Braun, commented: “Interactivity takes the center of the scene, a user-centred design that allows you to shape the environment. It is clear that the future of design lies in harmoniously integrating cutting-edge technology with sustainable practices, promoting a more positive and interconnected world.”

Multi-sector Innovation Across the Three Labels

Much more than statements of principle, these concepts permeate the winning proposals. “The new CHEFTOP-XTM combined oven redefines the concept of smart and sustainable cooking. The advanced operating system is enhanced with AI and offers unprecedented human-machine interaction thanks also to visual sensors for food recognition and the exchange of feedback on cooking and consumption”, explains Alessandro Boffini, Product & Visual Design Team Leader at Unox, who won the ‘classical’ Smart Label for this product.

And as technology merges even more with sustainability, the label becomes Green Smart Label: “We are delighted that the EcoPro G3 refrigerator system has been awarded the Green Smart Label,” says Nicholas Bamber, European Marketing Director at Foster Gamko. “Normally, refrigerators are either efficient but not performing, or they offer very expensive performance to manage. The EcoPro G3 is designed for the toughest environments, offering real benefits in both fuel consumption and performance.”

Moving the focus to the technological side, Innovation Smart Label went, among others, to Latte Art Factory for their innovation modes by Bar Pro: “We are pleased that its revolutionary milk mounting technology has been recognized. By redefining the art of creating a perfect microfoam, with unparalleled precision, we are at the forefront of coffee automation.”

At Host 2023, the winning Smart Label products will be presented in an area dedicated to Hall 6, Stand A44 B43 B49 B50.