It may not be long before Filipinos will be using appliances designed by their own students but bearing a well-known international brand.

These past two years, Electrolux Philippines has partnered with Filipino schools to encourage their students to participate in the company's annual Design Lab competition.

To be held on Oct. 8-9 this year, the European company's 6-year-old competition asks industrial design students to come up with tomorrow's appliances or a new generation of mod cons (modern conveniences).

Last year, when Electrolux first invited Filipino students to join the competition, it partnered with De la Salle University and the University of Santo Tomas. From out of 50 entries, Electrolux Philippines submitted 25 to the regional screening.

This year it worked with the Mapua Institute of Technology's School of Architecture, Industrial Design and the Built Environment.

A total of 20 designs including a heat stick, cooker/storage and cooking table, were submitted to the regional screening.

Entries to the Design Lab contest are expected to address needs in food storage, cooking and/or washing of households some two to three years from now and directed particularly at the so-called Internet generation.

Electrolux defines this group as "brand-conscious, busy, young, independent professionals, between 25 and 35, concerned about the environment and whose lives are intertwined with technology and online social networks."

Thomas Hong, Electrolux Philippines general manager, says Design Lab "seeks to bring together the creative minds of industrial design students."

Students are not only technology-savvy, they are also the likely users a few years from now of the appliances they will design today.

Although the Filipino students' designs did not qualify for the international competition, Hong says, "I have to say without hesitation, I have a lot of confidence in the designs of our Filipino students. They are all unique, creative and definitely out-of-the-box (and are at) par with (submissions from other) tech schools from around the world."

Hong says Filipinos are the "most creative and resourceful" though underestimated at times.

He says next year they will try to get more schools to participate in Electrolux's annual design competition.