The Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP) and the German Design Council, Germany’s national design promotion organization based in Frankfurt, have agreed to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation in the field of design promotion.

As members of the World Design Organization (WDO), both organizations share a common mission of advancing the value and impact of design within their respective countries and beyond.

The MOU includes the following areas of collaboration:

• Mutual promotional support between the GOOD DESIGN AWARD, organized by JDP, and the German Design Award, organized by the German Design Council
• Exchange of jury members between the two award programs
• Promotion of collaboration among design professionals, institutions, and industry stakeholders in Japan and Germany
• Development of joint projects and initiatives

As part of this collaboration, Lutz Dietzold, CEO of the German Design Council, will serve as a juror for the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2026.

About the German Design Council

Founded in 1953 following a resolution of the German Bundestag, the German Design Council operates under the motto “Moving Business by Design.” The organization promotes design through a range of activities, including the German Design Award, research programs, design consulting services, and educational initiatives that connect schools and society through design.

Official website: https://www.german-design-council.de/en/

About the German Design Award

The German Design Award are internationally recognized as one of the world's leading design awards, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and circular design.

The awards are organized across three principal disciplines:

• Architecture
• Product Design
• Communications Design

Applications for the German Design Award 2027 are open from 22 April to 11 September 2026.

Official website: https://www.german-design-award.com/en

Signing Ceremony and Special Lecture

On 31 July 2026, JDP and the German Design Council will hold an official MOU signing ceremony.

To commemorate the partnership, a special lecture will be presented by Naoto Fukasawa, product designer and JDP Board Member, who was named Personality of the Year at the German Design Award 2026.

Lutz Dietzold, CEO of the German Design Council, will also attend the event.