EMOTIONAL LIGHT: A SCHOLARSHIP INITIATIVE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH E-NOVIA

Istituto Marangoni and E-NOVIA are joining forces to offer a new scholarship opportunity for young talents in Product Design.

By fusing creativity with robotics and embedded technology, the challenge is to create a presence: an object where illumination feels innate, emerging organically from its form or materiality rather than functioning as an external device.

The technology: sensors, adaptive systems, interactivity, energy must remain invisible, operating quietly beneath the surface.

The result should feel almost alive, its intelligence sensed but never seen. We seek radical visions where light is not just emitted, but revealed, subtle, transformative, and profoundly integrated.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

e-Novia is an innovation ecosystem that has given birth to a deep tech industrial group with highly innovative products rooted in Italian technical-scientific and manufacturing excellence. Starting from the most innovative technologies, developed thanks to the collaboration with the best universities and the most prestigious research centres, they work to transform intellectual property into companies and products to be brought to the market generating tangible industrial assets. 

THE SCHOLARSHIP

The winner will be awarded a scholarship up to 50% deduction on the tuition fee (enrollment fee is due) for the Master in Product Design for Human-Robot Interaction starting in September 2025 in at the MILANO Design School. 

Following the winner’s award, other participants may be awarded a lower scholarship amount according to the Jury’s selection.

THE PROJECT

The objective of the contest is to present a sketches, renderings, and a brief written explanation of the design concept (maximum 500 words). The submission should highlight how the proposed concept takes advantage of robotic technologies.

Applicants are invited to follow the subsequent guidelines to formulate their design concept:

• Identify Robotic Technologies
  Research and propose cutting-edge robotic technologies that can be discreetly embedded within the object. These may include sensors, actuators, artificial intelligence, haptic feedback, drone systems, adaptive materials, power sources, or any relevant components. Explain how these technologies operate quietly, without overt interfaces or visible mechanisms.
• Innovative Application
  Present a visionary and transformative application of robotics within the object. Go beyond functionality—explore how your design enhances perception, presence, or emotional connection. Consider how it challenges the boundaries of what “light” can do and redefines its role in the user’s environment.
• Feasibility and Practicality
  While bold ideas are encouraged, ground the proposal in the realities of current or near-future technology. Address practical considerations such as energy consumption, material constraints, durability, user interaction, and cost. Highlight potential challenges and propose elegant, integrated solutions.
• Design and Aesthetics
  Bring the concept to life through compelling visuals—sketches, renders, or prototypes. Emphasize form, texture, and atmosphere. The design should embody contemporary aesthetics while expressing an almost immaterial intelligence—light not as decoration or utility, but as an intrinsic quality of the object itself.

To join the contest, kindly refer to the scholarship regulation for further information about participation criteria.  

Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to join the Milano Design School