International News: Design Awards METS

DAME winners announced at METS

By IBI Magazine. The Netherlands’ FLIR Systems scooped Overall Winner at the DAME (Design Awards METS) award presentation for its M-626L Series thermal night vision system.

The presentation took place at the ongoing METS (Marine Equipment Trade Show) event in Amsterdam.

Guy Pas, vice-president of sales Eurasia, collected the award on behalf of FLIR and was delighted with the win. “Price and awareness are the two bottlenecks working against thermal imaging technology in leisure boating,” Pas told the METS Newsletter. “With the M Series of cameras we’ve created a mainstream product, and winning the DAME award will certainly help us raise awareness of it.”

The judges were impressed with the M-626L’s sleek design, Ethernet capability and ease of installation. The jury said it chose the M-626L despite its relatively high cost, feeling that it provides satisfaction beyond anything currently on the market.

Winners were announced in seven categories:
- Marine Electronics — M-626L thermal camera by FLIR
- Interior Equipment — Halley lamp by Foresti & Suardi
- Deck Equipment, Sail and Rigging — Solid Carbon Rigging by Hall Spars & Rigging
- Clothing and Crew Accessories — Blue Eco jacket by Henri Lloyd
- Lifesaving and Safety Equipment — RIB Ladder by Armstrong Nautical Products
- Machinery, Propulsion, Mechanical and Electrical Systems and Fittings — GPX-5 hybrid power solution by Mastervolt
- Marine Related Software — iSiMON by Palladium Technologies

Two Special Certificates were also awarded: Henri Lloyd’s Blue Eco Jacket picked up the Most Eco-Friendly Product Certificate and Kenyon’s SilKEN stovetop won the Most Innovative Product Certificate.

The DAME jury chairman Bill Dixon was impressed by the number of entries this year. “Despite a difficult economic climate, we had 125 entries, which shows that marine businesses recognise the value of continuing to develop innovative products,” he said in the jury’s report.

The DAME (Design Awards METS) was first held in 1991 and awards the best of new marine equipment at METS Amsterdam.