Lowie Vermeersch studied Industrial Design at the Delft University of Technology and has been working at Pininfarina since 1998. When he was appointed Design Director in 2007, one of his first projects was the Sintesi.

We asked him to give his perspective on design and the future of the automotive industry;

Which company has been able to surprise you this past year on the subject of innovation?
It was a calm year for innovation during the crisis. Google Wave however is intriguing, even if it’s still under testing. Looks like it has the potential to work and communicate together at distance in a more natural and fluent way.

In your opinion, what product should win all the design awards this year?
Microvision’s ShowWX Laser handheld projector. A true innovation. Not only because of it’s size, but also because it’s a lasertechnology with auto focus, which means you can project also on non flat surfaces and still have the image sharp everywhere. This will allow us to use projections into our daily life and environment in a new way.

Which sector still has a lot of potential when it comes to innovation?
I’m convinced a lot of potential for innovation lies exactly in crossing the border between different sectors. Everything is becoming interconnected, and it’s those connections that have potential.

How do you see the automobile design sector evolving in the next few years?
After the current consolidation of the global market into big players, a continuous focus on design and a growing one on efficient technologies. With an emerging influence from markets such as China and India.