As the SaloneSatellite enters full adolescence, from April 17th – 22nd it will unleash the uncontainable exuberance of a teenager in Pavilions 22 and 24, in concomitance with the Saloni at the Milan Fairgrounds in Rho.

The SaloneSatellite was the first event to focus on young design talent and immediately became the quintessential meeting ground for manufacturers, talent scouts and the most promising young designers. Its creation in 1998 by Cosmit was an act of faith in the creative potential of young people. Many of the prototypes presented in previous editions have gone into production, and many of the designers who debuted at the Satellite have since become important names.

It is on the basis of these principles that the SaloneSatellite has always looked to the future, and it does so again this year with the theme “Design<->Technology”, to which the overall installation and a special exhibition of 15 interpretations by 15 designers, former and current participants in the Satellite, are dedicated: Massimiliano Adami, Azumi, Alessandra Baldereschi, Big Game, Diego Grandi, Tobias Fraenzel, Staffan Holm, Satyendra Pakhalè, Donata Paruccini, Postfossil, Studio Adriano, Studio Juju, Sebastian Wrong, Nika Zupanc and Cromatina Design. Representing all the design schools and university departments that have been invited to participate in the SaloneSatellite this year – and underscoring the fundamental importance of a good education in the professional formation of an aspiring designer – is ECAL, Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne.

As always, a prestigious Selection Committee composed of key international figures in the world of design, architecture and communication – Massimiliano Adami, designer; James Irvine, designer; Pierre Leonforte, journalist; Flavio Maestrini, Director, Giornale dell’Arredamento; Vanna Meroni, Marketing Director, Meritalia; Benedetta Mori Ubaldini, designer; Aldo Provini, President, Rapsel; Tommaso Toncelli, Art Director, Toncelli Cucine; Beppe Finessi, architect/critic; Marva Griffin, curator and organizer, SaloneSatellite – has reviewed the proposals of many designers and pared them down to those who will participate in the 15th edition. The selection is as competitive as ever, in order to maintain the sterling reputation of the SaloneSatellite, the world’s foremost springboard for promising young designers into the marketplace and the design star system.

Alongside the selected few are 18 design schools, of which the following are participating for the first time at the SaloneSatellite: American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Centro de Investigaciones de Diseño Industrial, Mexico; China Academy of Art, China; Enaip-CSF, Italy; Hanseo University, Korea; Istituto Europeo di Design, Spain; Kanazawa College of Art, Japan; New York Institute of Technology, USA; PUC-Pontificia Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Macedonia; Technical School Wood Art, Serbia; Universidad Piloto de Colombia, Colombia; Hochschule Darmstadt, Germany; University of Cambridge, Great Britain.

This year also marks the third edition of the SaloneSatellite Prize, a sort of further step toward facilitating contact between supply and demand, manufacturer and designer, creativity and production. As before,
this event invites designers to present, in addition to their prototypes, one or more projects belonging to the product categories of the biennial shows that run concurrently with the Salone Internazionale del Mobile. For the 2012 edition, these are EuroCucina and the International Bathroom Exhibition.

The prize will be awarded by an international jury of design world experts, who will choose the 3 best projects for each of the 2 product categories, Kitchen and Bath. The 3 winners will receive a monetary award – something sure to be appreciated by a struggling young designer – and an internship with a design-related company. The winners will also be able to avail themselves of consulting and press office services in order to ensure maximum visibility of the winning projects.

In keeping with its philosophy of supporting young designers, the SaloneSatellite renews its agreement with ADI (Italian Industrial Design Association), which protects their ideas through a Design Register. Protection is valid only in Italy.