SPAIN – The Spanish Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, through the Secretary of State for R+D+i, has awarded office furniture manufacturer Actiu the National Design Award 2017 in the “Companies” category. 

This award recognizes companies and professionals across Spain who have stood out for their exemplary work in the field of design.

“This award recognizes how design is fundamental to Actiu and how we apply it to all phases of the company, from designing the product, project, engineering and development, graphic identity, work spaces and even to designing our internationalization plan”, Soledad Berbegal, Director of Brand Strategy, explains.

In order to promote Actiu’s products, the company created the R+D+i department 30 years ago, driven by Vicent Berbegal and led by Paco Rodríguez, who together formed a perfect partnership where Berbegal was in charge of the company’s vision and Rodríguez of its development. Other areas have also been essential for the company’s development, such as graphic design, interior design and architecture, that “show a clear commitment to design and innovation that is felt across the whole organization”, commented the emotional Berbegal and Rodríguez, remembering the early stages of Actiu.

Commitment to design, as well as providing made to measure manufacturing solutions for each client, is one of the key factors in expanding across the world and into different sectors, which has allowed Actiu to work in office equipment, education, transport, health, institutions and hospitality, alongside large architects such as Zaha Hadid, Rudy Ricciotti, Allende Arquitectos, among others.

Some of their latest major projects have been the headquarters of Iberia, La Caixa and Astra Zeneca in Spain; Danone and Allianz in France, Tullow Oil Kenya, Heathrow airport, in the UK, Mallorca airport in Spain and WellCamp Airport in Australia, hospitals such as La Fe in Valencia and Rey Juan Carlos de Móstoles and schools and universities in different countries around the world.

Vicent Berbegal stated, “It is an honor for the whole team to be recognized in the field of design and at the same time it is a huge motivation to continue in this direction. I greatly appreciate each and every one of our members who belong to this big family, and their enthusiasm and efforts to work hard each day to continue to provide design and innovation in the workplace and public spaces. We are delighted by this news”.