IT · 2026-11-12
Orn Design, Thehan Creative, and Ecopiece Win a Series of Domestic and International Design Awards
Products from companies in the Jeonnam and Gwangju region have made the lists of the Korea Good Design Awards, Germany’s Red Dot Design Award, and CES 2027 Innovation Awards. From electric transport vehicles to sound objects and AI-powered desalination robots, products across very different fields have been recognized for both design and technology.
Products from local companies have achieved a string of successes on domestic and international stages where design and technology are put to the test. Orn Design’s electric transport vehicle was selected for the Korea Good Design Awards, Thehan Creative’s sound object was named in Germany’s Red Dot Design Award, and Ecopiece’s desalination robot has been awarded a CES 2027 Innovation Award.
According to the Gwangju Design Promotion Agency, the design for Orn Design’s “detachable cabin multi-purpose electric transport vehicle” was selected for the 2026 Korea Good Design (GD) Awards. The Good Design Awards are a system that evaluates aesthetics, creativity, usability, and more, and grants the government-certified GD mark to outstanding products. Not only the product’s appearance, but also the convenience of actual use and the completeness of the design are part of the evaluation.
Thehan Creative’s “Sound Object” was named a finalist in the Germany Red Dot Design Award. Red Dot, along with Germany’s iF and the United States’ IDEA, is considered one of the world’s top three design awards. With this, a design product from a local company has been recognized not only in Korea but also on the international design stage.
Ecopiece’s “Ecobot Desalow” was introduced as a CES 2027 Innovation Award winner. CES is the electronics and information technology trade show held in Las Vegas, and Ecobot Desalow is an AI-based autonomous floating desalination robot designed to help solve water shortages. Desalination refers to the process of removing salt from seawater and other sources to obtain fresh water. This product can be seen as an example of a design that also drew attention for its technological approach to environmental challenges.
The Gwangju Design Promotion Agency said it has been supporting local companies through the “2026 Gwangju Industrialization Design Project,” including submissions to domestic and international competitions aimed at strengthening market competitiveness and fostering globally specialized companies. This round of awards and selections is meaningful in that each company’s product was recognized as competitive in a different field. That said, success in a competition does not immediately lead to overseas sales or business expansion, so it will be worth watching whether these achievements translate into real market entry and commercialization results.
This report was compiled based on coverage by ET News and explanations from the Gwangju Design Promotion Agency.
According to the Gwangju Design Promotion Agency, the design for Orn Design’s “detachable cabin multi-purpose electric transport vehicle” was selected for the 2026 Korea Good Design (GD) Awards. The Good Design Awards are a system that evaluates aesthetics, creativity, usability, and more, and grants the government-certified GD mark to outstanding products. Not only the product’s appearance, but also the convenience of actual use and the completeness of the design are part of the evaluation.
Thehan Creative’s “Sound Object” was named a finalist in the Germany Red Dot Design Award. Red Dot, along with Germany’s iF and the United States’ IDEA, is considered one of the world’s top three design awards. With this, a design product from a local company has been recognized not only in Korea but also on the international design stage.
Ecopiece’s “Ecobot Desalow” was introduced as a CES 2027 Innovation Award winner. CES is the electronics and information technology trade show held in Las Vegas, and Ecobot Desalow is an AI-based autonomous floating desalination robot designed to help solve water shortages. Desalination refers to the process of removing salt from seawater and other sources to obtain fresh water. This product can be seen as an example of a design that also drew attention for its technological approach to environmental challenges.
The Gwangju Design Promotion Agency said it has been supporting local companies through the “2026 Gwangju Industrialization Design Project,” including submissions to domestic and international competitions aimed at strengthening market competitiveness and fostering globally specialized companies. This round of awards and selections is meaningful in that each company’s product was recognized as competitive in a different field. That said, success in a competition does not immediately lead to overseas sales or business expansion, so it will be worth watching whether these achievements translate into real market entry and commercialization results.
This report was compiled based on coverage by ET News and explanations from the Gwangju Design Promotion Agency.
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#Korea Good Design Award#Red Dot Design Award#CES 2027 Innovation Award#Gwangju Design Promotion Agency#electric transport vehicle design#AI desalination robot#Gwangju industrial design project