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LOS ANGELES, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Los Angeles Auto Show® (LA Auto Show®) today announced the teams competing in this year's Design & Developer Challenge presented by Microsoft; the show also revealed the five finalist teams that will be presenting their concepts to media and industry professionals at AutoMobility LA™ on Wednesday, November 29.  More than 30 companies from around the world applied to participate in the show's annual Design & Developer Challenge which asked experts to devise a mobility plan for Los Angeles as part of the City's bid to host a major global sporting event in the year 2060; of them, 11 teams qualified to compete for three distinct honors – the Judges', Industry and People's Pick awards.

The Competing Teams:

• BYTON Design – based in Nanjing, China, the global startup unites automotive engineers and computing experts to push the boundaries of mobility through digital transformation
• Cunningham Concept Design – based in Southern California, Cunningham bridges the gap between automotive and entertainment design, creating visions that are both fantastic and pragmatic for a global industry
• GK Design International Inc. – multidisciplinary design firm in Southern California that is part of the GK Design Group originating in Tokyo, Japan
• Herman Miller – globally recognized provider of furnishings and related technologies and services; headquartered in Michigan, the global company has relied on innovative design for over 100 years to solve problems for people wherever they work, live, learn and heal
• Honda Advanced Design and Trigger – the creator of future Honda and Acura automobile and mobility design concepts, Honda Advanced Design, has teamed up with fellow Los Angeles-based company, Trigger, inventor of unrivaled mixed reality experiences for the world's top brands
• Launch Forth, Allianz, Ottobock, Red Bull and International Paralympic Committee – Launch Forth is a community-powered product development platform focused on helping companies co-create truly world-changing products ranging from 3D-printed cars and drones to self-driving shuttles to an entire city on Mars for one million people. Launch Forth and Allianz have partnered with Ottobock, Red Bull and the International Paralympic Committee to participate in this year's Design & Developer Challenge
• oiio – group of architects, urbanists and researchers practicing in the study and realization of built as well as un-built environments; based in New York City and Athens, Greece
• Qoros Design – based in Shanghai, China, Qoros designs and develops vehicles with distinct aesthetic, safety and connected services that meet international quality standards
• Systematica – headquartered in Milan, Italy, the global transport planning and mobility engineering consultancy provides a wide array of integrated consultancy services in the transport and urban planning sectors, including national, urban and development scale transport planning, traffic analysis and management, mobility engineering and events venues with a special focus on pedestrian flows, parking design, vertical transportation and application of infomobility systems and technologies.
• URB-E – based in Southern California, URB-E's mission is to solve the pain points of urban living by designing and engineering lightweight foldable electric vehicles and mobile power sources. Using California's hi-tech aerospace manufacturing technologies, URB-E builds innovative products with unparalleled quality, durability and safety. URB-E has delivered over 5,000 foldable electric vehicles to customers in more than 30 countries
• ZGF Architects – architecture, design and planning practice with an intentionally diverse portfolio that includes mixed-use developments, museums, transportation facilities and ecodistricts among several other environments; ZGF Architects has 600 professionals spanning the U.S. and Canada and has received more than 1,000 design awards, including the American Institute of Architects' highest honor, the Architecture Firm Award

A panel of design, innovation and transportation experts from ArtCenter College of Design, Autodesk, IDEO, Los Angeles' Department of Transportation, Mattel, Microsoft NEXT and Under Armour selected five teams to present their concept at AutoMobility LA on Wednesday, November 29, starting at 4:25 p.m. PST.

The Finalist Teams (click on the links below for a preview each finalist's "L.A. 2060" concept):

• GK Design International Inc.
• Honda Advanced Design and Trigger
• Launch Forth, Allianz, Ottobock, Red Bull and International Paralympic Committee
• oiio
• ZGF Architects

The winner of the 2017 Judges' Pick award will be announced immediately following the finalists' presentations.  Industry professionals and the general public will also have the opportunity to review all 11 entries and vote for their favorite concept on automobilityla.com and laautoshow.com, respectively.  The winner of the Industry Pick and People's Pick awards will both be announced the week of Dec. 11.

Hosted within the epicenter of automotive design and innovation for more than a dozen years, the Design & Developer Challenge is the world's only annual competition that blends the automotive design community with creatives from multiple disciplines, including entertainment, technology, architecture and urban planning.  All AutoMobility LA attendees are invited to witness and celebrate this year's Design & Developer Program, which includes a panel, finalist presentations, press conference by Launch Forth, networking reception and afterparty. Supported by Autodesk and Lacks Enterprises, the Design & Developer Challenge presented by Microsoft will take place in the Technology Pavilion, located in front of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

For more information about the Design & Developer Program, visit:
http://automobilityla.com/design-developer-program/

For more information about AutoMobility LA and LA Auto Show, visit:
http://www.automobilityla.com/ and http://laautoshow.com/

About the Los Angeles Auto Show and AutoMobility LA
Founded in 1907, the Los Angeles Auto Show (LA Auto Show®) is the first major North American auto show of the season each year.  In 2016, the show's Press & Trade Days merged with the Connected Car Expo (CCE) to become AutoMobility LA^TM, the industry's first trade show converging the technology and automotive industries to launch new products and technologies and to discuss the most pressing issues surrounding the future of transportation and mobility.  AutoMobility LA 2017 will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center Nov. 27-30, with manufacturer vehicle debuts intermixed.  LA Auto Show 2017 will be open to the public Dec. 1-10.  AutoMobility LA is where the new auto industry gets business done, unveils groundbreaking new products and makes strategic announcements in front of media and industry professionals from around the globe.  LA Auto Show is endorsed by the Greater L.A. New Car Dealer Association and is operated by ANSA Productions.  To receive the latest show news and information, follow LA Auto Show on Twitter at twitter.com/LAAutoShow, via Facebook at facebook.com/LAAutoShow or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laautoshow/ and sign up for alerts at http://www.laautoshow.com/. For more information about AutoMobility LA, please visit https://www.automobilityla.com/.

Media Contacts:
Brian Alexander/Amanda Niklowitz
JMPR Public Relations, Inc.
(818) 992-4353
balexander@jmprpublicrelations.com
aniklowitz@jmprpublicrelations.com

SOURCE Los Angeles Auto Show