Carl Nielsen Design Accelerator
An annual initiative supporting Australian industrial designers working in sustainable design.
Carl Nielsen Design Accelerator
Supported by a generous bequest from Carl and Judy Nielsen, Powerhouse selects one project designed in Australia that demonstrates outstanding design in sustainability.
This accelerator program is open to industrial designers up to 10 years post-graduation. Each program will be tailored to the recipient and may include industry mentorship, production or research assistance or outreach support up to the value of $25,000. Powerhouse may also seek to acquire the winning project into the Powerhouse Collection.
2025 Recipient
Olson Hamilton-Smith is a Melbourne-based, Northern Territory-raised designer and manufacturer of Taiwanese heritage. Trained at RMIT, Melbourne Polytechnic and the Elisava Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, he has worked across the world of design, including at IHS Design, a furniture manufacturer, and DCG Design, leaders in public art, lighting and specialised architectural installations. He is also an artist in his own right, having been a finalist for the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize in 2023, and is the founder and lead designer at Loop Cycles, a Brunswick-based workshop specialising in custom engineering, design and fabrication with a focus on cycling.
FOLDEE, his latest project, is a modular, repairable and recyclable folding cargo bike that enables car-free transport within cities, reducing congestion and climate impact.
Carl Nielsen Design Accelerator
Industry Advisor
The successful recipient of the 2025 Carl Nielsen Design Accelerator program will be advised by Sydney-based industrial designer and Associate Lecturer, Industrial Design, UNSW Ed Ko, who will work with the recipient to create a bespoke program tailored to the project.
Ko is a multifaceted, award-winning industrial designer, lecturer, communicator, and community builder dedicated to nurturing creative expression and driving positive change through industrial design.
Previous Recipients
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Initiatives
We support and invest in a range of initiatives that sustain industry development and individual creative practice across the applied arts, applied sciences and creative industries.
Opportunities
Careers, volunteer projects, residencies, fellowships, design accelerators and research programs that are currently open.