Supporting emerging talent is one of Silmo’s core commitments and its annual Optical Design Contest provides an international launchpad for design students from around the world.
Showcased at Silmo Paris 2026, 10 innovative projects have been shortlisted for this year’s edition, themed 'The Future of Optics: What Vision?'.
Returning jury chair, internationally renowned designer Olivier Lapidius, said this year's submissions reflect the current diversity of design cultures and the creativity of a new generation of designers, presenting bold concepts that are already helping to shape the conversation around the future of optics.
The nominees are: Alogaki by Elsa de Miguel, Paula Gómez and Adriana González from the Universidad de Valladolid (Spain); Arch terrain by Megan Brodmerkel, Savannah College of Art and Design (US); Dreamscape by Sophia Denison, Savannah College of Art and Design (US); Emoslow by Océane Gallais, CY Cergy Paris Université (France); Ground by Tidiane Cardot, Atlas Ozer and Theo Vanpoperynghe, Rubika ISD (France); Halo by Thibault Lacroix and Basile Fruteau de Laclos, L'école de Design Nantes Atlantique (France); Learning to see by Sini Virtanen, Aalto University, School of Art Design and Architecture (Finland); Lupo by Amandine Crépin, CY Cergy Paris Université (France); Prome by Camille Déniel, L'Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique (France); and Spora by Mateo Caballero Rodrigo, Mario Carrasco García and Gabriel Casado Matesanz, Universidad de Valladolid (Spain).
The winning project will be announced at Silmo 2026, receiving a €10,000 prize, shared equally between the student and their educational institution.
