Eindhoven (the Netherlands) - Philips Design, an Icsid Corporate Member, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious INDEX:Award in the category Home, for the Chulha, Philips' innovative sustainable, healthy cooking stove. The INDEX: Award is a bi-annual award that supports the INDEX mission to generate more design to improve life of higher quality all over the world.

The Chulha is a result of the Philips Design workshop entitled 'a sustainable design vision - design for sense and simplicity'. It was designed to limit the dangerous health effects caused by smoke from the traditional indoor cooking in many rural areas of the developing world. Philips Design worked together with local stakeholders, including end-users, in India to realise the Chulha. As its philanthropic contribution to sustainable development Philips Design allows local stakeholders to use the Intellectual Property for free. The relatively cheap production process stimulates local entrepreneurial activities for the replication and the diffusion of the Chulha. Potential local entrepreneurs receive training to produce, install and maintain the stoves in order to serve the villages in rural areas.

Stefano Marzano, CEO and Chief Creative Director, Philips Design, "We are very honored to receive the prestigious INDEX:Award for the Chulha. Besides the fact that Chulha truly delivers a healthier cooking possibility for people in rural areas, the award means also recognition for our Philanthropy by Design program which aims at providing meaningful solutions that empower some of the more fragile categories of society."

The Jury of the INDEX: Award chose the Chulha as the award winner because it burns bio-mass fuel efficiently and directs cleaned smoke out of the house through a chimney. Also awarded is the open-source business model for distribution of the design. Finally, the fact that a large, multinational corporation like Philips is now moving to generate Design to improve life, is being recognised. The award was handed over by Mrs Valeria Budinich, VP of Full Economic Citizenship and global board member of Ashoka. Mrs Budinich is seen as a vital connector between entrepreneurs and capital, pushing the boundaries of innovative thinking.

The INDEX:Award is the biggest design prize in the world, financed by the state of Denmark, with a total award sum of 500,000 Euros across all five categories. The award to Philips for the Chulha will be funneled back into further development in the area of design for health and well-being. A portion of the award will be put directly into the further follow up of the Chulha, in order to make these sustainable design solutions accessible to more.

The other candidates in the category Home where: the Pink Project (known because of its founder, actor Brad Pitt), Hippo Roller and ParaSITE. More information about the projects can be found on the INDEX: website.
Philanthropy by Design
The Philips Design Philanthropy by Design program was founded by Stefano Marzano in 2005. It is aimed at philanthropic giving through design by providing meaningful solutions that empower some of the more fragile categories of society. The program launched with a workshop entitled 'A sustainable design vision - design for sense and simplicity', where NGOs shared some of their biggest challenges with Philips Design. From Philips Design's creative force created a number of potential design solutions.